Olsen Spec Projects

[olsenmotorsports]

So what is the easiest to work on, best sorted vintage Porsche vs performance?

Man what a loaded question.

Easiest to work on are the F-Bodies. The 68-73’s
Best sorted are the 993’s which are also the best drivers. But horrible to work on.

I would say bang for the buck, reliable etc would be any G body 3.2 Carerra.

The 964 chassis retains by far the biggest cult following of all the models.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Anyone have one of the Epic Workbenches? I ordered one back in November when they were announced as I wanted something bigger and shorter to mount a vise on etc. Couple of co workers also ordered them as well. Apparently according to my Rep (he stops on Wednesdays) it’s a no go for now. Listen to this BS. I have a silver color on all my boxes, and want a stainless top of course. There is no part number in the system for silver. I don’t really care about that, I WANT it. I mean they are making them right? Yes, but only in black, red and something else. So I go hey is silver discontinued? Of course not I sell that color all the time. This is the “available to order page” from the website.



I hate throwing a fit but I was upset TBH. I have been so loyal to them but the rep has his hands tied of course. Thinking about taking this one up the food chain.

I really need this like I need a hole in my head, but damnit when I want something I will move anyone in my way till I get it lol.

I really feel like playing the media card with them “hey lets do a collaboration” but I feel like their marketing department is run by a bunch of 60 year olds riding out a pension, it is horrible.

Corporate America rant over.

What’s good today? What did I miss?

 

[Scuderia-F1]

Anyone have one of the Epic Workbenches? I ordered one back in November when they were announced as I wanted something bigger and shorter to mount a vise on etc. Couple of co workers also ordered them as well. Apparently according to my Rep (he stops on Wednesdays) it’s a no go for now. Listen to this BS. I have a silver color on all my boxes, and want a stainless top of course. There is no part number in the system for silver. I don’t really care about that, I WANT it. I mean they are making them right? Yes, but only in black, red and something else. So I go hey is silver discontinued? Of course not I sell that color all the time. This is the “available to order page” from the website.



I hate throwing a fit but I was upset TBH. I have been so loyal to them but the rep has his hands tied of course. Thinking about taking this one up the food chain.

I really need this like I need a hole in my head, but damnit when I want something I will move anyone in my way till I get it lol.

I really feel like playing the media card with them “hey lets do a collaboration” but I feel like their marketing department is run by a bunch of 60 year olds riding out a pension, it is horrible.

Corporate America rant over.

What’s good today? What did I miss?

I really want one of those rigs to make friends with my other Epiq inventory, but not available at all here so far.
Oh, I feel your pain about Snap-on, yet it is THE ONLY truck allowed on my compound. Am I childish/retarded!? Most likely, but I won't buy from anyone else (some special tools and equipment that they don't have, yes for sure, but otherwise NO).

 

[Scuderia-F1]

So what is the easiest to work on, best sorted vintage Porsche vs performance?

964 or G series, is the short answer. But personally I like the 993, but they're a nightmare to work on in many ways. It is the most developed and best driving "real" 911 by far. Everything after that since they involved Subaru in how to build cars, is a hard NO from me, especially the wetsump cars (the Mezgers are somewhat okey'ish).

 

[runit]

Thanks for the deep dive and we all appreciate that you are putting out quality work!

I think you mentioned this, but how did you get your start in P car work/restoration?
You said you had a new outlook on biz after 2022.....were you doing the same kind of work before 2022 or just more 'lower quality' volume work?
How long has your shop been at the 10-12 person crew?
Did you start your shop all by yourself or did you have 'co-owners' or whatever?
Seems like an awful long ways and time **** to travel from CHI to FL so often....
So many shops aspire to get to the top tier level, but lack something......what is that something?

Thanks!

 

[olsenmotorsports]

I really want one of those rigs to make friends with my other Epic inventory, but not available at all here so far.
Oh, I feel your pain about Snap-on, yet it is THE ONLY truck allowed on my compound. Am I childish/retarded!? Most likely, but I won't buy from anyone else (some special tolls and equipment that they don't have, yes for sure, but other

I get it. I’ve spent a few bucks with them over the years. Snap-On comes, and the Mac guy stops every few weeks, but only one guy buys from him. Personally I think their new tools are garbage. Ive got what some people would consider vintage Mac and it’s great. Having said that I did purchase their master RBRT collection, and I gotta say its got me out of some jambs very quickly. Fantastic product.

Ive got one employee that does the “tool truck equivalent” tooling. Swears it’s the same thing. We went head to head. He says Mayhew makes all snap on’s chisels etc. And I am not educated enough to argue with him. We took a 911 front hub, he used his “same” bearing race punch as my snap on. His edges were destroyed on one bearing, mine were fine on the other 3 races. Who knows!

Funny thing is, Porsche crank bearings, supposedly made by Glyco. But the factory bearings are just a smidge tighter and the coating is different. People swear it’s the same. We only use OEM porsche stuff

 

[Scuderia-F1]

I get it. I’ve spent a few bucks with them over the years. Snap-On comes, and the Mac guy stops every few weeks, but only one guy buys from him. Personally I think their new tools are garbage. Ive got what some people would consider vintage Mac and it’s great. Having said that I did purchase their master RBRT collection, and I gotta say its got me out of some jambs very quickly. Fantastic product.

Ive got one employee that does the “tool truck equivalent” tooling. Swears it’s the same thing. We went head to head. He says Mayhew makes all snap on’s chisels etc. And I am not educated enough to argue with him. We took a 911 front hub, he used his “same” bearing race punch as my snap on. His edges were destroyed on one bearing, mine were fine on the other 3 races. Who knows!

Funny thing is, Porsche crank bearings, supposedly made by Glyco. But the factory bearings are just a smidge tighter and the coating is different. People swear it’s the same. We only use OEM porsche stuff

Yeah ”vintage” MAC pre Stanley are good quality, I just don’t like them. About RBRT I’ve heard good things about it, but ultimately never used, the patent is hold by a company called GripEdge. Abou your statement about Mayhem vs Snap-on and Glyco vs Porsche OE bearings I totally agree with you that there’s a difference. So if the GripEdge is as good as RBRT I can’t say.

With that said, I never discuss kit with people that loves to brag about how cheap they are. If they want to chase deals and save a coin, that’s fine with me but I’m not interested.

I don’t chase coin on parts, supplies or hardware etc either, I always strive to provide the very best quality ever, no matter what.
I never price match my work or give estimates on a car that I don’t know the ins and outs of. If a small bill is the priority, I’m not the shop for that client.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

It’s been a SH** show of a las couple of days here at the store. Insane deadlines for us to catch up and stay on schedule with some stuff. Had some parts delays, but just because we have those delays we do not move our deadlines - causes a lot of stress especially on 4 day work weeks.



The 87 engine got done. This was the tough one. We got the car 2 weeks ago for a top end reseal (Keep the heads on but re seal cam towers etc) On top of that it included paint, vapor blast, and rush plating. Got it done this afternoon and stuffed back in the car and heat cycled. ***** of it is customer is flying in tomorrow at 3pm and DRIVING it back to Florida. Great shakedown!


The Purple 964 Turbo is also leaving tomorrow. This one failed QC for a chain tensioner o ring. Not an easy or quick fix - but it happens. The one is headed to Ohio - and trailer is bringing back a RS America from the same customer.



Another car headed out of state and getting final QC which was paint correction. All original paint and it was good enough to try and save.



The 356 Speedster is also due to be completed tomorrow. Today was fitting the top (no easy task). Tomorrow button up final details and then final QC.



Update on the Targa. Tomorrow is due date on the front bumper. It is all welded and now that the shape is all intact we needed to finish the edges and final transition to the body. Alex is making the shape here to transitions the splitter up to the fender. I kept the lines in line with the fender flare edge and the turn back so it all matches. I think he killed it.



Tomorrow he will finish the corner - then mirror this all on the other side. Final weld it and planing it. Going to be a long day. We are two weeks out from paint and still have to make side skirts, a trunk spoiler and final QC all the body lines.



Here is a full front view. I think he killed it and is right on the rendor. Jabroc got delayed in shipping so that will not show up till tomorrow Mid Day. Going to be a thrash on that so planning is going to be key.

Hope everyone’s week is going well! Thanks for watching!

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Thanks for the deep dive and we all appreciate that you are putting out quality work!

I think you mentioned this, but how did you get your start in P car work/restoration?
You said you had a new outlook on biz after 2022.....were you doing the same kind of work before 2022 or just more 'lower quality' volume work?
How long has your shop been at the 10-12 person crew?
Did you start your shop all by yourself or did you have 'co-owners' or whatever?
Seems like an awful long ways and time **** to travel from CHI to FL so often....
So many shops aspire to get to the top tier level, but lack something......what is that something?

Thanks!

Wow not sure I can answer this all quickly! I will link a video to how I got started below.
I did the same kind of work before 2022, but I had a lot of personnel and business issues that I caused. I was lower volume, handicapped by my own inability’s to lead people and properly run a business. I was a control freak that thought everyone should perform like me and at my level. Impossible.
We have been 10-12 people for a couple years. Smaller than that is for lack of a better term not enough ownership profits to make it worthwhile. Larger adds more infrastructure which has IMO diminishing returns and less profits. 10-12 is the really sweet spot. I use revenue per employee to gauge the health of things.
I started it alone, and financed it myself with a 20k initial investment (all I had lol)
For me the travel is easy, I live 10 minutes from ORD, and on the flip side my house in FL is 20 minutes from RSW so in total its a 3 hour ordeal, Lived my entire professional career on airplanes so for me it isn’t terrible. Plus winter in Naples doesn’t really **** in February when it’s 20 degrees in the Windy City!

Wow that last question. My answer is Accountabilty, Quality, Throughput, and Customer Service. I really think it’s that simple.

Maybe this video will help explain a bit.

Yeah ”vintage” MAC pre Stanley are good quality, I just don’t like them. About RBRT I’ve heard good things about it, but ultimately never used, the patent is hold by a company called GripEdge. Abou your statement about Mayhem vs Snap-on and Glyco vs Porsche OE bearings I totally agree with you that there’s a difference. So if the GripEdge is as good as RBRT I can’t say.

With that said, I never discuss kit with people that loves to brag about how cheap they are. If they want to chase deals and save a coin, that’s fine with me but I’m not interested.

I don’t chase coin on parts, supplies or hardware etc either, I always strive to provide the very best quality ever, no matter what.
I never price match my work or give estimates on a car that I don’t know the ins and outs of. If a small bill is the priority, I’m not the shop for that client.

Agree - Cheap people drain your time. They demand more meetings, more explanations, more price discussion, etc. all time *****. People should value your expertise, it is a partnership. Cheap people second guess your decisions, making you re do your work to justify every move. This slows down progress and adds unnecessary friction. The dont respect and often cross boundaries. They will message you after hours, push for discounts and often ignore the agreed upon scope of work. That mentality is not for me.

 

[Scuderia-F1]

Wow not sure I can answer this all quickly! I will link a video to how I got started below.
I did the same kind of work before 2022, but I had a lot of personnel and business issues that I caused. I was lower volume, handicapped by my own inability’s to lead people and properly run a business. I was a control freak that thought everyone should perform like me and at my level. Impossible.
We have been 10-12 people for a couple years. Smaller than that is for lack of a better term not enough ownership profits to make it worthwhile. Larger adds more infrastructure which has IMO diminishing returns and less profits. 10-12 is the really sweet spot. I use revenue per employee to gauge the health of things.
I started it alone, and financed it myself with a 20k initial investment (all I had lol)
For me the travel is easy, I live 10 minutes from ORD, and on the flip side my house in FL is 20 minutes from RSW so in total its a 3 hour ordeal, Lived my entire professional career on airplanes so for me it isn’t terrible. Plus winter in Naples doesn’t really **** in February when it’s 20 degrees in the Windy City!

Wow that last question. My answer is Accountabilty, Quality, Throughput, and Customer Service. I really think it’s that simple.

Maybe this video will help explain a bit.

Agree - Cheap people drain your time. They demand more meetings, more explanations, more price discussion, etc. all time *****. People should value your expertise, it is a partnership. Cheap people second guess your decisions, making you re do your work to justify every move. This slows down progress and adds unnecessary friction. The dont respect and often cross boundaries. They will message you after hours, push for discounts and often ignore the agreed upon scope of work. That mentality is not for me.

 

[Scuderia-F1]

Wow not sure I can answer this all quickly! I will link a video to how I got started below.
I did the same kind of work before 2022, but I had a lot of personnel and business issues that I caused. I was lower volume, handicapped by my own inability’s to lead people and properly run a business. I was a control freak that thought everyone should perform like me and at my level. Impossible.
We have been 10-12 people for a couple years. Smaller than that is for lack of a better term not enough ownership profits to make it worthwhile. Larger adds more infrastructure which has IMO diminishing returns and less profits. 10-12 is the really sweet spot. I use revenue per employee to gauge the health of things.
I started it alone, and financed it myself with a 20k initial investment (all I had lol)
For me the travel is easy, I live 10 minutes from ORD, and on the flip side my house in FL is 20 minutes from RSW so in total its a 3 hour ordeal, Lived my entire professional career on airplanes so for me it isn’t terrible. Plus winter in Naples doesn’t really **** in February when it’s 20 degrees in the Windy City!

Wow that last question. My answer is Accountabilty, Quality, Throughput, and Customer Service. I really think it’s that simple.

Maybe this video will help explain a bit.

Agree - Cheap people drain your time. They demand more meetings, more explanations, more price discussion, etc. all time *****. People should value your expertise, it is a partnership. Cheap people second guess your decisions, making you re do your work to justify every move. This slows down progress and adds unnecessary friction. The dont respect and often cross boundaries. They will message you after hours, push for discounts and often ignore the agreed upon scope of work. That mentality is not for me.

When Apple got the "Focus" on the iPhone, was the best stuff since sliced bread. Off the clock only a very limited amount of clients gets through. They're all what I like to call Tier 1 clients (not just open wallet policy is enough, they spend pretty much all the time & have NO issues). They score top points in all 3 categories of the RFM business model that I lean on.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

When Apple got the "Focus" on the iPhone, was the best stuff since sliced bread. Off the clock only a very limited amount of clients gets through. They're all what I like to call Tier 1 clients (not just open wallet policy is enough, they spend pretty much all the time & have NO issues). They score top points in all 3 categories of the RFM business model that I lean on.

RFM is great, but that has bitten us before. I have had people in the past mention that they stopped coming to us because they felt if they were not Jeff Bezos (not a customer just an example) that it wasn’t worth our time. Alarm bells! For me that hit close to home because I am a big fan of Costco, Starbucks, Four Seasons etc, all who excel at consistency. One of our sales motto that is written on the wall in the office is “It isn’t about what it cost’s, it’s about how they feel”. We try and practice that with everyone. Our ideal customer owns their own transportation, and managing dozens of those simultaneously tends to put pressure on the staff to be consistent with the oil change guy. But it works for us.

We try and be extremely consistent with everything we do, employee management, media, workflow etc. And I feel that is the true key to success You got to have boundaries and values and then stick to them like glue. Creates a culture for both employees and customers.

For our RFM We have a monthly VIP subscription service for our customers, that if they pay they have basically front of the line service on anything they need.

Man you gotta turn that phone off it’s a game changer. No one gets my cell phone number. No one. You wanna talk to me you gotta get through the gatekeeper answering The phone. After 5:30 thats family time, and more importantly rest for my brain. A rested healthy mind is a super productive one!

I know this is supposed to be a fabrication thread so probably boring everyone, but if we can do anything to help fellow people succeed I am an open book, god knows I have made every mistake in the book!

 

[danski0224]

Four Seasons

If this is the Chicago HVAC company, they excel at consistently ******* over customers.

Excellent marketing.

Poor quality work.

 

[Scuderia-F1]

RFM is great, but that has bitten us before. I have had people in the past mention that they stopped coming to us because they felt if they were not Jeff Bezos (not a customer just an example) that it wasn’t worth our time. Alarm bells! For me that hit close to home because I am a big fan of Costco, Starbucks, Four Seasons etc, all who excel at consistency. One of our sales motto that is written on the wall in the office is “It isn’t about what it cost’s, it’s about how they feel”. We try and practice that with everyone. Our ideal customer owns their own transportation, and managing dozens of those simultaneously tends to put pressure on the staff to be consistent with the oil change guy. But it works for us.

We try and be extremely consistent with everything we do, employee management, media, workflow etc. And I feel that is the true key to success You got to have boundaries and values and then stick to them like glue. Creates a culture for both employees and customers.

For our RFM We have a monthly VIP subscription service for our customers, that if they pay they have basically front of the line service on anything they need.

Man you gotta turn that phone off it’s a game changer. No one gets my cell phone number. No one. You wanna talk to me you gotta get through the gatekeeper answering The phone. After 5:30 thats family time, and more importantly rest for my brain. A rested healthy mind is a super productive one!

I know this is supposed to be a fabrication thread so probably boring everyone, but if we can do anything to help fellow people succeed I am an open book, god knows I have made every mistake in the book!

Your take on the game is SUPER appreciated. I get your Bezos point.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

If this is the Chicago HVAC company, they excel at consistently ******* over customers.

Excellent marketing.

Poor quality work.

No was referring to Four Seasons Resorts. The hvac company does have a great outreach. Dave has done a great job there. I am not a customer so cannot speak to the service he provides.

Your take on the game is SUPER appreciated. I get your Bezos point.

Funny thing is I am preaching consistency but I am supposed to be discussing fab and techniques. Oh the irony

 

[Scuderia-F1]

No was referring to Four Seasons Resorts. The hvac company does have a great outreach. Dave has done a great job there. I am not a customer so cannot speak to the service he provides.



Funny thing is I am preaching consistency but I am supposed to be discussing fab and techniques. Oh the irony

Your shop pics/posts are just as appreciated. Soaking up everything I can see in the pics and videos.

 

[Xti04]

Youtube is creepin on us. You popped up in my youtube shorts feed tonight sealing an engine case. I appreciate the business insights as I am literally doing the opposite of your model. But, I am learning to fire cheap customers who try and force me to discount their work, I am learning to respond on my time when I am ready to talk, learning to say no and I now know what RFM is so I feel like I have learned a ton already in here.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Your shop pics/posts are just as appreciated. Soaking up everything I can see in the pics and videos.

Thank you for the kind words!

Youtube is creepin on us. You popped up in my youtube shorts feed tonight sealing an engine case. I appreciate the business insights as I am literally doing the opposite of your model. But, I am learning to fire cheap customers who try and force me to discount their work, I am learning to respond on my time when I am ready to talk, learning to say no and I now know what RFM is so I feel like I have learned a ton already in here.

HA! Those videos always do well, thanks for watching! Man the power of saying no, and setting boundaries is super critical. Good for you! Constant learning is the key to success and I am happy that you are taking that route. I set aside 2 hours 3 morning’s a week (3-5am) and I spend that time on leadership, culture, and business acumen research. Been doing it for a couple years now. Those are the 3 things that I **** at terribly as a skill set, so I attack them till I feel that I have mastered it. Then I start all over again. I’m not a smart guy so I don’t retain things that don’t “interest me” so I keep going over my material till it’s engrained into my head.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Some of the more notable Friday updates.

the 2012 maintenance I finally got done. Had to pull people off this to get other deadlines done so I had to pick up the tools.





Changed the water pump out. The OEM original ones were plastic impellers. Superseded are cast impellers so it is a good thing to do as preventative maintenance. This one wasnt bad or leaking, just a good idea to pull them out and get it done.



Also scavenge pump lines from the turbo were swollen. Replaced those on both sides (only one was bad) and did new breather lines under the intake while we were at it. Those have a tendency to have to o rings fail and weep. Just put all new hoses in. Once again just preventative maintenance.



Threw it back in and got everything connected back up - I put 10’ long hoses on the AC Machine so that allows us to have the car up in the air while we button stuff up as the recover-evacuate-leak check-recharge takes 45 minutes. Only costs around $500 for long hoses and you make that back in one job by being efficient. Those little things matter at scale.



Targa front bumper is done being made finally. Still has to be metal finished but at least we can move on to the side skirts, and then rear deck lid. Two weeks out from Paint so it is going to be a thrash. Final Assembly is scheduled for January 1st to begin and paint needs 6 weeks, another week for clear bra and ceramic coating to be applied and cured before we can start it. Deadlines cannot be pushed! Gotta go!



Meanwhile on the other side of the shop the 87 got the engine stuffed in it and test driven. We do 50 miles on our top end re do’s before we hand off to customer. His flight landed at 2:30 and he picked up at 4 to drive back to Florida!



Final result. Turned out really nice and was a quick turnaround for the guy. Hope he's happy!

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Someone asked me about my personal Diag Cart. (Sorry cannot remember who that was) This is all quick grab stuff that I would use a lot - the other stuff is in Bulk storage cases. I will take some photos of that because it is actually some cool stuff!


Top drawer is my old PIWIS tester II. Have the later ones as well but myself I am predominantly the old car guy so keep this one charged up. Also keep my Autel here and the D10 (my go to love that thing) My 5 gas is in here along with my Timing light (young guys are going to have to google what that is) along with some known good warm up regulators, relays, switches etc, things I can use to grab a waveform off if I need to. I also have all my leads for my ECU bench tester etc. Oh and my fire extinguisher for test drives



Drawer 2 is video scopes, I dont use the snap-on one that frequently as the optics are well just outdated, but this one has the optional dye optic which is super helpful with the smoke machine. Makes leak testing a 10 minute job. Highly recommend. Also my fluke 88 (everyone has that) as well as additional leads, probes, clips etc. Also my breakout leads for sensors so I can hook scopes up. All the common old and new stuff for sensors. (Mostly VAS as the Porsche ones are the same piece but 3x the price) I have the master collection breakout box for 2000’s and earlier in another cabinet. But they are too big to fit here. This drawer is an embarrassment as it is a mess. Sorry lol.



Drawer 3 is a couple different BOB’s (Bosch for the OBD1 cars and OTC for the CAN cars) Terminal files, short finders (the Mac one up top has LONG since been replaced with the power probe short finder . Not sure why I even still have that dinosaur other than to show the guys how we “used to do it”. TPMS stuff, soldering stuff, load testers, 6 and 12 volt test lights (yes I do 6 volt stuff still) and my gates belt tensioner tool (use that a lot)



Drawer four is CIS tester, smoke machine attachments, my wide band monitors, The redline bladders for the smoke machine (big fan of those just make sure you buy the repair kits and have on hand)



5 is terminal stuff for making break out’s if I don't have the proper one, and my label maker for wiring, and terminal tools that dont fit above.



Drawer 6 is my other pressure transducer kit, AES U scope Elite attachments, AES relay tester, Wireless battery tester, Bluetooth meter (the sister non blue tooth meter is a couple drawers up, the Bluetooth one I only get out on test drives) RPM laser meter etc.

Ive got two more lockers stuffed with test stuff but this is nice to have on wheels and take with me to the car. So sorry it is such a mess, no easy way to organize it.

 

[Scuderia-F1]

Someone asked me about my personal Diag Cart. (Sorry cannot remember who that was) This is all quick grab stuff that I would use a lot - the other stuff is in Bulk storage cases. I will take some photos of that because it is actually some cool stuff!


Top drawer is my old PIWIS tester II. Have the later ones as well but myself I am predominantly the old car guy so keep this one charged up. Also keep my Autel here and the D10 (my go to love that thing) My 5 gas is in here along with my Timing light (young guys are going to have to google what that is) along with some known good warm up regulators, relays, switches etc, things I can use to grab a waveform off if I need to. I also have all my leads for my ECU bench tester etc. Oh and my fire extinguisher for test drives



Drawer 2 is video scopes, I dont use the snap-on one that frequently as the optics are well just outdated, but this one has the optional dye optic which is super helpful with the smoke machine. Makes leak testing a 10 minute job. Highly recommend. Also my fluke 88 (everyone has that) as well as additional leads, probes, clips etc. Also my breakout leads for sensors so I can hook scopes up. All the common old and new stuff for sensors. (Mostly VAS as the Porsche ones are the same piece but 3x the price) I have the master collection breakout box for 2000’s and earlier in another cabinet. But they are too big to fit here. This drawer is an embarrassment as it is a mess. Sorry lol.



Drawer 3 is a couple different BOB’s (Bosch for the OBD1 cars and OTC for the CAN cars) Terminal files, short finders (the Mac one up top has LONG since been replaced with the power probe short finder . Not sure why I even still have that dinosaur other than to show the guys how we “used to do it”. TPMS stuff, soldering stuff, load testers, 6 and 12 volt test lights (yes I do 6 volt stuff still) and my gates belt tensioner tool (use that a lot)



Drawer four is CIS tester, smoke machine attachments, my wide band monitors, The redline bladders for the smoke machine (big fan of those just make sure you buy the repair kits and have on hand)



5 is terminal stuff for making break out’s if I don't have the proper one, and my label maker for wiring, and terminal tools that dont fit above.



Drawer 6 is my other pressure transducer kit, AES U scope Elite attachments, AES relay tester, Wireless battery tester, Bluetooth meter (the sister non blue tooth meter is a couple drawers up, the Bluetooth one I only get out on test drives) RPM laser meter etc.

Ive got two more lockers stuffed with test stuff but this is nice to have on wheels and take with me to the car. So sorry it is such a mess, no easy way to organize it.

Some nice kit for sure. Good to see another fellow CIS enthusiast!

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Some nice kit for sure. Good to see another fellow CIS enthusiast!

Not going to lie, I love the old speed density/Hall effect stuff. They are so easy and simple and they just plain work. Don’t get me wrong I will get down with CAN systems and fix them, but something about old school and no scan tools makes you think. I actually think (and tell my staff) that if you can master old school then the new stuff is even easier because the old stuff makes you UNDERSTAND automotive systems.

What kills me is when people call us and say I’ve had my car at two different shops and they cant fix etc. I have never had one recently that we couldn’t fix (I say recently because years ago we did struggle before we invested in tooling).

Funny story (for us not the customer) boxster comes in with misfires that were getting worse. Was at dealer. Needs a harness because of mice which caused the misfire (straight off the RO notes). OK. Ran through the diag 2 bad injectors CYL 1 and 3. Clear as day on the waveform you could see the slope didn’t have any current draw. Threw a set of injectors at it. Back in business but still had #3 misfire. Well the intake bolt was stuck in the intake valve. Professional courtesy we called the dealer first. Explained the situation. They took zero accountability for it.

What do you think that cost the guy? Unreal.

 

[Scuderia-F1]

Not going to lie, I love the old speed density/Hall effect stuff. They are so easy and simple and they just plain work. Don’t get me wrong I will get down with CAN systems and fix them, but something about old school and no scan tools makes you think. I actually think (and tell my staff) that if you can master old school then the new stuff is even easier because the old stuff makes you UNDERSTAND automotive systems.

What kills me is when people call us and say I’ve had my car at two different shops and they cant fix etc. I have never had one recently that we couldn’t fix (I say recently because years ago we did struggle before we invested in tooling).

Funny story (for us not the customer) boxster comes in with misfires that were getting worse. Was at dealer. Needs a harness because of mice which caused the misfire (straight off the RO notes). OK. Ran through the diag 2 bad injectors CYL 1 and 3. Clear as day on the waveform you could see the slope didn’t have any current draw. Threw a set of injectors at it. Back in business but still had #3 misfire. Well the intake bolt was stuck in the intake valve. Professional courtesy we called the dealer first. Explained the situation. They took zero accountability for it.

What do you think that cost the guy? Unreal.

I’m with you all the way about the old stuff then the new etc etc. Tooling is key, yes I judge my colleagues on what kit they have and how their shop is presented. That goes for drawer organisation, work uniform, their ride etc etc etc.

Now on to the sad story about your client/dealership story. I feel sad for the client. But to me this is just another case which proves that shopping around for the lowest bid isn’t the answer. Due diligence is of utter importance. In most scenarios the dealer is more expensive anyway, but even if the independent specialist is more expensive it usually is because of value provided. Focus should be set on quality and competence. I doubt that the dealer even had it hooked up to a scope….

 

[danski0224]

shopping around for the lowest bid isn’t the answer.

This is not always the case.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

This is not always the case.

I would agree as long as we agree on “what”. Value for the bid can be lower. Quality for lower is in my experience never cheaper.

Situational awareness on those can lead to saving money if what you are buying/maintaining etc is not a long term hold?

 

[olsenmotorsports]

Was out running errands today and we needed to switch our potted fake plants to winter colors at the shop. My shop foreman is going to kill me.

Ran to the hobby store and loaded up on “thrillers, fillers, and spillers” as my wife calls them. We make our own arrangements at our shop. It’s a fun team building thing.
Reason my Foreman is going to kill me is Tuesday the garland arrives. 107 linear feet of pine garland pre wrapped with lights and ornaments for the lifts. Can’t wait to see his face when a FedEx bomb goes off and he’s like WTF is all this? Will make for great media.

Huge milestones this week. YouTube hit 15k subscribers and is starting to scale more and more. And our instagram hit 70k followers. We are three weeks behind our goal 100k by 12/31 so we have to be super creative for the rest of q4. The algorithm changed and it really cost our momentum but I think we got it figured out.

I stopped by the store for a couple hours for more tool grid action. Seems like it never ends. But getting closer to being dialed in for production.



This was driving me crazy not being able to quick see the size. Ended up doing all the drawers. Man these little stickers take forever to get straight



Looks so much better with the identifiers. Plus it allows me to see what holes I need to fill from incomplete sets.



Got the rest of the metric drawer done. I still need to order the torx and e torx decals. Forgot to get those.



I also got the service cart identified as well!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

 

[runit]

The car marketplace I run (wyndscreen.com) is an IG follower!

We'll get you there!

 

[zmotorsports]

Youtube is creepin on us. You popped up in my youtube shorts feed tonight sealing an engine case. I appreciate the business insights as I am literally doing the opposite of your model. But, I am learning to fire cheap customers who try and force me to discount their work, I am learning to respond on my time when I am ready to talk, learning to say no and I now know what RFM is so I feel like I have learned a ton already in here.

I really need to learn this. I was getting so good for a while, but then I started the whole "list" thing again and when I can't get to people on the list, they get pissed. Funny, they say that they understand when I explain my fleet comes first and then when I have time I will get to the side jobs, but once they're on the list, they forget about that conversation. I feel so rushed on my own stuff lately trying to get to side work on the list, but I need to just figure out how to be ok with the concept that when I get to them, I get to them and not rush through my stuff.

I about killed myself yesterday going up and down the ladder for 4 hours detailing the coach all so I could get to work in the shop. With the weather being so nice here lately, I could have easily spread out the coach detailing over a couple or even three days and been just fine. But no, in my head I have to kill myself to get the work done right away.

 

[zmotorsports]

Some of the more notable Friday updates.

the 2012 maintenance I finally got done. Had to pull people off this to get other deadlines done so I had to pick up the tools.





Changed the water pump out. The OEM original ones were plastic impellers. Superseded are cast impellers so it is a good thing to do as preventative maintenance. This one wasnt bad or leaking, just a good idea to pull them out and get it done.



Also scavenge pump lines from the turbo were swollen. Replaced those on both sides (only one was bad) and did new breather lines under the intake while we were at it. Those have a tendency to have to o rings fail and weep. Just put all new hoses in. Once again just preventative maintenance.



Threw it back in and got everything connected back up - I put 10’ long hoses on the AC Machine so that allows us to have the car up in the air while we button stuff up as the recover-evacuate-leak check-recharge takes 45 minutes. Only costs around $500 for long hoses and you make that back in one job by being efficient. Those little things matter at scale.



Targa front bumper is done being made finally. Still has to be metal finished but at least we can move on to the side skirts, and then rear deck lid. Two weeks out from Paint so it is going to be a thrash. Final Assembly is scheduled for January 1st to begin and paint needs 6 weeks, another week for clear bra and ceramic coating to be applied and cured before we can start it. Deadlines cannot be pushed! Gotta go!



Meanwhile on the other side of the shop the 87 got the engine stuffed in it and test driven. We do 50 miles on our top end re do’s before we hand off to customer. His flight landed at 2:30 and he picked up at 4 to drive back to Florida!



Final result. Turned out really nice and was a quick turnaround for the guy. Hope he's happy!

Call me crazy, but I just love seeing that AGA Tools powertrain table being used. I've only had mine a few short weeks and have't dropped a full powertrain yet with it, but I'm ready when I need to.

 

[richfinn]

Someone asked me about my personal Diag Cart. (Sorry cannot remember who that was) This is all quick grab stuff that I would use a lot - the other stuff is in Bulk storage cases. I will take some photos of that because it is actually some cool stuff!


Top drawer is my old PIWIS tester II. Have the later ones as well but myself I am predominantly the old car guy so keep this one charged up. Also keep my Autel here and the D10 (my go to love that thing) My 5 gas is in here along with my Timing light (young guys are going to have to google what that is) along with some known good warm up regulators, relays, switches etc, things I can use to grab a waveform off if I need to. I also have all my leads for my ECU bench tester etc. Oh and my fire extinguisher for test drives



Drawer 2 is video scopes, I dont use the snap-on one that frequently as the optics are well just outdated, but this one has the optional dye optic which is super helpful with the smoke machine. Makes leak testing a 10 minute job. Highly recommend. Also my fluke 88 (everyone has that) as well as additional leads, probes, clips etc. Also my breakout leads for sensors so I can hook scopes up. All the common old and new stuff for sensors. (Mostly VAS as the Porsche ones are the same piece but 3x the price) I have the master collection breakout box for 2000’s and earlier in another cabinet. But they are too big to fit here. This drawer is an embarrassment as it is a mess. Sorry lol.



Drawer 3 is a couple different BOB’s (Bosch for the OBD1 cars and OTC for the CAN cars) Terminal files, short finders (the Mac one up top has LONG since been replaced with the power probe short finder . Not sure why I even still have that dinosaur other than to show the guys how we “used to do it”. TPMS stuff, soldering stuff, load testers, 6 and 12 volt test lights (yes I do 6 volt stuff still) and my gates belt tensioner tool (use that a lot)



Drawer four is CIS tester, smoke machine attachments, my wide band monitors, The redline bladders for the smoke machine (big fan of those just make sure you buy the repair kits and have on hand)



5 is terminal stuff for making break out’s if I don't have the proper one, and my label maker for wiring, and terminal tools that dont fit above.



Drawer 6 is my other pressure transducer kit, AES U scope Elite attachments, AES relay tester, Wireless battery tester, Bluetooth meter (the sister non blue tooth meter is a couple drawers up, the Bluetooth one I only get out on test drives) RPM laser meter etc.

Ive got two more lockers stuffed with test stuff but this is nice to have on wheels and take with me to the car. So sorry it is such a mess, no easy way to organize it.

It was me that asked for the Diagnostic cart, thanks for taking the time to post up pics

Always interesting to see what extra kit brand specialists use to diagnose problems in addition to the generic stuff we all have, are you using a picoscope with that Porsche Toughbook?

 

[Xti04]

I love the table and miss having access to the OEM Porsche table at the dealer. I found out it fits way more than just Porsche drivelines. We used to use it for Audi engines all the time. Would love to have one here but space and use dont justify one right now.

 

[ScepterToad]

I totally dig those ToolGrid systems. Took a hard look at them and did some counting. I think the system would cost more than my toolbox did. Ahh well, I'll figure out something. May have to finally dig in and figure out SolidWorks and one of the 6 3D printers I have access to.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

The car marketplace I run (wyndscreen.com) is an IG follower!

We'll get you there!

Thank you that is very kind of you! Really appreciate that!

I really need to learn this. I was getting so good for a while, but then I started the whole "list" thing again and when I can't get to people on the list, they get pissed. Funny, they say that they understand when I explain my fleet comes first and then when I have time I will get to the side jobs, but once they're on the list, they forget about that conversation. I feel so rushed on my own stuff lately trying to get to side work on the list, but I need to just figure out how to be ok with the concept that when I get to them, I get to them and not rush through my stuff.

I about killed myself yesterday going up and down the ladder for 4 hours detailing the coach all so I could get to work in the shop. With the weather being so nice here lately, I could have easily spread out the coach detailing over a couple or even three days and been just fine. But no, in my head I have to kill myself to get the work done right away.

I can’t even imagine. Tell me to f*** off if you want to, are there any Detailer’s in your area? In those cases I look at my time and what it is worth. Things around the house I hire that out. Landscaping, car detailing everything. Our housekeeper manages all that. Now Im not saying you need a housekeeper, but i am a revenue guy. And I understand wanting to control your quality by doing it yourself, but I’m sure you can 5x what that Detailer would have cost you plus write it off as a biz expense? That’s how my brain works.

Once again if I’m out of line I’m sorry. I hate others telling me how to live my life and here I am throwing suggestions.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

It was me that asked for the Diagnostic cart, thanks for taking the time to post up pics

Always interesting to see what extra kit brand specialists use to diagnose problems in addition to the generic stuff we all have, are you using a picoscope with that Porsche Toughbook?

Have the pico for it. But to be honest that scan tool is a dinosaur. It’s so painfully slow I don’t even bother with live data. Really only use it for guided fault finding. The PIWIS (especially the 4) is great as it stores all service data for all faults, plus code set criteria and wiring diagrams. It’s a great function. For bi directional it’s great, but live data I grab a different scanner for that. (Like Autel or Snap-On you can set alerts etc which is great.

I love the table and miss having access to the OEM Porsche table at the dealer. I found out it fits way more than just Porsche drivelines. We used to use it for Audi engines all the time. Would love to have one here but space and use dont justify one right now.

They are game changers for sure!

I totally dig those ToolGrid systems. Took a hard look at them and did some counting. I think the system would cost more than my toolbox did. Ahh well, I'll figure out something. May have to finally dig in and figure out SolidWorks and one of the 6 3D printers I have access to.

It isn’t a cheap endeavor that’s for sure, which doesn’t make it for everyone. I’m the only one at work that has it. Most everyone else runs the Amazon available stuff, and to be honest they do the exact same thing they store stuff lol. For me I like TG just because I’ve got so much random stuff that a regular organizer won’t handle that will satisfy my OCD.

 

[Scuderia-F1]

I really need to learn this. I was getting so good for a while, but then I started the whole "list" thing again and when I can't get to people on the list, they get pissed. Funny, they say that they understand when I explain my fleet comes first and then when I have time I will get to the side jobs, but once they're on the list, they forget about that conversation. I feel so rushed on my own stuff lately trying to get to side work on the list, but I need to just figure out how to be ok with the concept that when I get to them, I get to them and not rush through my stuff.

I about killed myself yesterday going up and down the ladder for 4 hours detailing the coach all so I could get to work in the shop. With the weather being so nice here lately, I could have easily spread out the coach detailing over a couple or even three days and been just fine. But no, in my head I have to kill myself to get the work done right away.

Just put them on the shitlist when they don't listen Mike. For those that you pick out to help, don't sell yourself cheap. I can guarantee that they will have a harder time finding a replacement for you, that what you will have finding an appreciative client to replace them with.

 

[zmotorsports]

I can’t even imagine. Tell me to f*** off if you want to, are there any Detailer’s in your area? In those cases I look at my time and what it is worth. Things around the house I hire that out. Landscaping, car detailing everything. Our housekeeper manages all that. Now Im not saying you need a housekeeper, but i am a revenue guy. And I understand wanting to control your quality by doing it yourself, but I’m sure you can 5x what that Detailer would have cost you plus write it off as a biz expense? That’s how my brain works.

Once again if I’m out of line I’m sorry. I hate others telling me how to live my life and here I am throwing suggestions.

No you're not out of line, we are all entitled to our opinion and how we look at things varies from person to person.

For me, I cannot let someone else touch my ****, period. I don't look at things from strictly a monetary point of view, maybe that's part of my problem though. I take great pride in maintaining my own vehicles and property and simply can't let anyone else do it for me. To be honest, I actually enjoy mowing my lawn and to some extent, cleaning my vehicles but I realize looking at if from purely a financial standpoint, I could make more money hiring it out, I simply can't do that. Something in my DNA I guess.

 

[gregs]

Huge milestones this week. YouTube hit 15k subscribers and is starting to scale more and more. And our instagram hit 70k followers. We are three weeks behind our goal 100k by 12/31 so we have to be super creative for the rest of q4. The algorithm changed and it really cost our momentum but I think we got it figured out.

Besides the advertisement side of this to reach more clients, is there a direct financial return on reaching these numbers? Or is it about getting your videos and such to a better spot so that the get viewed more often?

 

[olsenmotorsports]

No you're not out of line, we are all entitled to our opinion and how we look at things varies from person to person.

For me, I cannot let someone else touch my ****, period. I don't look at things from strictly a monetary point of view, maybe that's part of my problem though. I take great pride in maintaining my own vehicles and property and simply can't let anyone else do it for me. To be honest, I actually enjoy mowing my lawn and to some extent, cleaning my vehicles but I realize looking at if from purely a financial standpoint, I could make more money hiring it out, I simply can't do that. Something in my DNA I guess.

I am the same way but I just don‘T have the time to devote like that. Maybe when I retire! Gives me something to look forward to.

Besides the advertisement side of this to reach more clients, is there a direct financial return on reaching these numbers? Or is it about getting your videos and such to a better spot so that the get viewed more often?

There is but we are still way upside down on ROI looking at it that way. We need to be Over a million to break even (which is our 2028 goal. IG generates around $3m in revenue for us as it is where 80% of our Business comes from. I am launching a parts business at the end of 2025 if we hit our goal of 250k followers. You can make the best product in the world but if no one knows you exist it isn’t worth anything! We need to be at a point where we can use our media to launch products and get orders instantly. So it’s a journey. The first 100k followers is the hardest part after that it is just maintaining your monthly growth percentage. (Which for us is a average of 6%)

 

[jake28]

As an industrial designer-by-training, it pains me to admit: audience development > product development.

It’s a gross oversimplification, but there are too many examples to ignore where ‘influencers’ have built audiences and then started selling total garbage to them and diving into piles of money like Scrooge mcduck. (See beast burgers and prime energy drinks as case studies.)

The conventional product development process is dead in the water, exemplified by the dated “as seen on TV” product ads. Somebody has a great idea, tinkers in the garage, finds a manufacturing partner, lays out the cash, builds an inventory, and then relies on a crappy distribution model and a pile of prayers to enjoy a meager cut of the proceeds.

Build an audience, figure out what they want, make it, sell it. Far better, faster, and ultimately easier than doing the opposite.

 

[olsenmotorsports]

As an industrial designer-by-training, it pains me to admit: audience development > product development.

It’s a gross oversimplification, but there are too many examples to ignore where ‘influencers’ have built audiences and then started selling total garbage to them and diving into piles of money like Scrooge mcduck. (See beast burgers and prime energy drinks as case studies.)

The conventional product development process is dead in the water, exemplified by the dated “as seen on TV” product ads. Somebody has a great idea, tinkers in the garage, finds a manufacturing partner, lays out the cash, builds an inventory, and then relies on a crappy distribution model and a pile of prayers to enjoy a meager cut of the proceeds.

Build an audience, figure out what they want, make it, sell it. Far better, faster, and ultimately easier than doing the opposite.

I could not agree more. One of the things that makes me sad in our space is the trash in terms of aftermarket “goodies” that is available for purchase. The quality is terrible relative to the price point. Our stuff will be top quality.

You nailed it by building the audience first. That is exactly my model. Times have changed, and you have to be ok with that and adapt and be in front of it. Otherwise it is a slow painful death for business.

Thanks for your input!