Merriam, Kan.--Chris Whim, owner of Mission Auto Service--a Napa Auto Care Center--has been a shop owner since 1981, and over those years, he said he has made a number of equipment purchases but that it still makes him nervous every time he buys a new piece of equipment.
“There is a lot of questions you have to ask yourself,” Whim said, “like is it going to be outdated in two years, how is the support for the equipment, and how often will I use it? All these questions have to be weighed before you buy anything.”
Most recently, Whim said he has invested in tools and equipment that increase shop efficiency, including diagnostic scan tools and the latest alignment machine.
“As far as scanners go, we own the Bosch Vetronix and a Snap-On Vantage Plus that we purchased from Napa, along with the Tech II, GM’s OE tool,” he said, adding that he is looking to purchase the Chrysler and Ford Factory scan tools as well.
“Having the factory equipment gives me more assurance that I am getting the right information,” Whim said. “You have so many more options with the factory scan tools. For example, some of the scan tools only do half the job, or with Chrysler, we can’t reprogram anything with a gray key.”
Whim said he would like to invest in all the OE scanners, but the cost keeps him from it. He said he bases those purchases on a number of criteria.
“It is a mixture of what is in the checkbook and how often I will use it--for example, if I would use the equipment on average three times per month, I will usually go ahead and buy the equipment. If it is once every six months, it is not worth it for me to buy the equipment.”
The Bosch Vetronix was purchased after Whim said he recognized that his ratio of domestic to foreign cars had reach a 50-50 split.
“We started seeing a lot more import work in the last five years than I had previously seen, so I saw it necessary to invest in the Bosch tool,” he said.
“I am using the Tech II daily to reprogram, and the foreign tool we use about two to three times weekly,” he said, “so it doesn’t take long to see the return on the investment.”
Whim said he hopes the case is the same for his new Hunter Hawkeye High-Definition Alignment System, which he purchased eight months ago through Myers Brothers in Kansas City, Mo.
“It is so much faster and easier to use than the old machine I had,” he said. “You hook the heads up, roll it forward, roll it back, and you are ready to go. It saves my technician a lot of time, especially when you look at the fact that we are doing five to 10 alignments each week.”
Whim said the new equipment increases efficiencies for his five technicians, including his son, Chris Whim Jr., who focuses primarily on drivability diagnosis. He said his wife, Cathi, is the office manager.
Whim said he floats throughout the shop, wherever he is needed, working in the office but also staying involved in the repair process.
Currently, he said, he has two computer workstations in his eight-bay, 5,000-square-foot shop, with Internet access and Mitchell and Identifix diagnostic software for his technicians.
“I want to add two more laptops so we can talk back and forth through the internet, rather than run to and from the office and back,” he said. “I think it could save us 20 minutes per day, and that is 20 more minutes that they are working.”
Another time saver, Whim said, is his proximity to a number of parts suppliers, including his Napa jobber, and he gets OE parts from Shawnee Mission Ford, Andy Klein Mazda, Superior Chevrolet, Shawnee Mission Kia, and Shawnee Mission Hyundai--all located within a couple miles of his shop.
“I really like the area I am in,” he said. “Being located close to parts in the area is an asset.”
Whim said he purchased his current location in 2001.
