SEMA News—September 2014

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy Petersen Archives

Is Your Future in the Automobile Industry?

Were you to park a ’14 Chevy Malibu next to a ’56 Bel Air and open the hoods of each, the contrast would be remarkable. The Malibu’s short, wide engine bay is so full of plastic covers, tubes, hoses, wires, bottles and other equipment that the car’s four-cylinder engine is barely visible—if at all. The Bel Air’s Turbo-Fire V8, on the other hand, stands out in the ’56 Chevy’s spacious engine compartment, covered in bright orange paint and hooked to a canister air cleaner, a couple of radiator hoses and little else. Ask any shadetree mechanic why he prefers to work on old collector cars over today’s computer- and emissions-controlled vehicles and the answer usually comes down to: “They were so much simpler then.”

And yet, back when that ’56 Chevy was new, it too, was a complex piece of machinery (relatively speaking), requiring skilled technicians to keep it running properly. Finding and training those techs was a challenge in those days. As Jeff Cooper wrote in the February 1957 issue of Motor Trend, “…literally millions of new cars, all loaded with complex and hurriedly assembled automatic gadgets, and all fitted with engines souped to power outputs far beyond original design loads, continue to pour out of the factories and onto the roads.” In 1940, before World War II, “…there were 72 relatively simple vehicles per mechanic, whereas in 1965 there will be 103 very complicated vehicles for each man to repair and maintain.”

Vocational training was the solution to this situation, wrote Cooper. “The day is passing when any youngster with a strong back and a willingness to get his hands greasy can pick up a few bucks tinkering with cars while he casts about for something better. The future ‘Doctor of Automotive Maintenance’ is going to be a highly skilled, well-informed professional type more comparable to an orthopedic surgeon than to a specialized, single-purpose laborer. And he will be rewarded with appropriate payment and prestige.”

Cooper’s story then became essentially a two-page commercial for National Schools, a vocational training facility in Los Angeles that also offered courses in radio, television and electronics. Automotive tech students went through a full-year program (18 months if they were taking the class at night) that started with “…the basic physics of the internal combustion engine and proceeds through such subjects as chassis, tools and automotive electricity to diesel-electric power, advanced tuning and automatic transmissions. Mechanisms for all types of automatic gadgetry are fully covered.”

In the photo, a National Schools instructor (center) is offering “…actual experience to more advanced students as they gain practical knowledge of how to diagnose and repair engine diseases. The correct use of time- and labor-saving equipment is heavily stressed.”

Makes you wonder what the industry will be like in another half century.

SEMA News—September 2014

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy Petersen Archives

Is Your Future in the Automobile Industry?

Were you to park a ’14 Chevy Malibu next to a ’56 Bel Air and open the hoods of each, the contrast would be remarkable. The Malibu’s short, wide engine bay is so full of plastic covers, tubes, hoses, wires, bottles and other equipment that the car’s four-cylinder engine is barely visible—if at all. The Bel Air’s Turbo-Fire V8, on the other hand, stands out in the ’56 Chevy’s spacious engine compartment, covered in bright orange paint and hooked to a canister air cleaner, a couple of radiator hoses and little else. Ask any shadetree mechanic why he prefers to work on old collector cars over today’s computer- and emissions-controlled vehicles and the answer usually comes down to: “They were so much simpler then.”

And yet, back when that ’56 Chevy was new, it too, was a complex piece of machinery (relatively speaking), requiring skilled technicians to keep it running properly. Finding and training those techs was a challenge in those days. As Jeff Cooper wrote in the February 1957 issue of Motor Trend, “…literally millions of new cars, all loaded with complex and hurriedly assembled automatic gadgets, and all fitted with engines souped to power outputs far beyond original design loads, continue to pour out of the factories and onto the roads.” In 1940, before World War II, “…there were 72 relatively simple vehicles per mechanic, whereas in 1965 there will be 103 very complicated vehicles for each man to repair and maintain.”

Vocational training was the solution to this situation, wrote Cooper. “The day is passing when any youngster with a strong back and a willingness to get his hands greasy can pick up a few bucks tinkering with cars while he casts about for something better. The future ‘Doctor of Automotive Maintenance’ is going to be a highly skilled, well-informed professional type more comparable to an orthopedic surgeon than to a specialized, single-purpose laborer. And he will be rewarded with appropriate payment and prestige.”

Cooper’s story then became essentially a two-page commercial for National Schools, a vocational training facility in Los Angeles that also offered courses in radio, television and electronics. Automotive tech students went through a full-year program (18 months if they were taking the class at night) that started with “…the basic physics of the internal combustion engine and proceeds through such subjects as chassis, tools and automotive electricity to diesel-electric power, advanced tuning and automatic transmissions. Mechanisms for all types of automatic gadgetry are fully covered.”

In the photo, a National Schools instructor (center) is offering “…actual experience to more advanced students as they gain practical knowledge of how to diagnose and repair engine diseases. The correct use of time- and labor-saving equipment is heavily stressed.”

Makes you wonder what the industry will be like in another half century.

SEMA News—September 2014

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy Petersen Archives

Is Your Future in the Automobile Industry?

Were you to park a ’14 Chevy Malibu next to a ’56 Bel Air and open the hoods of each, the contrast would be remarkable. The Malibu’s short, wide engine bay is so full of plastic covers, tubes, hoses, wires, bottles and other equipment that the car’s four-cylinder engine is barely visible—if at all. The Bel Air’s Turbo-Fire V8, on the other hand, stands out in the ’56 Chevy’s spacious engine compartment, covered in bright orange paint and hooked to a canister air cleaner, a couple of radiator hoses and little else. Ask any shadetree mechanic why he prefers to work on old collector cars over today’s computer- and emissions-controlled vehicles and the answer usually comes down to: “They were so much simpler then.”

And yet, back when that ’56 Chevy was new, it too, was a complex piece of machinery (relatively speaking), requiring skilled technicians to keep it running properly. Finding and training those techs was a challenge in those days. As Jeff Cooper wrote in the February 1957 issue of Motor Trend, “…literally millions of new cars, all loaded with complex and hurriedly assembled automatic gadgets, and all fitted with engines souped to power outputs far beyond original design loads, continue to pour out of the factories and onto the roads.” In 1940, before World War II, “…there were 72 relatively simple vehicles per mechanic, whereas in 1965 there will be 103 very complicated vehicles for each man to repair and maintain.”

Vocational training was the solution to this situation, wrote Cooper. “The day is passing when any youngster with a strong back and a willingness to get his hands greasy can pick up a few bucks tinkering with cars while he casts about for something better. The future ‘Doctor of Automotive Maintenance’ is going to be a highly skilled, well-informed professional type more comparable to an orthopedic surgeon than to a specialized, single-purpose laborer. And he will be rewarded with appropriate payment and prestige.”

Cooper’s story then became essentially a two-page commercial for National Schools, a vocational training facility in Los Angeles that also offered courses in radio, television and electronics. Automotive tech students went through a full-year program (18 months if they were taking the class at night) that started with “…the basic physics of the internal combustion engine and proceeds through such subjects as chassis, tools and automotive electricity to diesel-electric power, advanced tuning and automatic transmissions. Mechanisms for all types of automatic gadgetry are fully covered.”

In the photo, a National Schools instructor (center) is offering “…actual experience to more advanced students as they gain practical knowledge of how to diagnose and repair engine diseases. The correct use of time- and labor-saving equipment is heavily stressed.”

Makes you wonder what the industry will be like in another half century.

SEMA News—September 2014

HERITAGE

By Drew Hardin
Photo Courtesy Petersen Archives

Is Your Future in the Automobile Industry?

Were you to park a ’14 Chevy Malibu next to a ’56 Bel Air and open the hoods of each, the contrast would be remarkable. The Malibu’s short, wide engine bay is so full of plastic covers, tubes, hoses, wires, bottles and other equipment that the car’s four-cylinder engine is barely visible—if at all. The Bel Air’s Turbo-Fire V8, on the other hand, stands out in the ’56 Chevy’s spacious engine compartment, covered in bright orange paint and hooked to a canister air cleaner, a couple of radiator hoses and little else. Ask any shadetree mechanic why he prefers to work on old collector cars over today’s computer- and emissions-controlled vehicles and the answer usually comes down to: “They were so much simpler then.”

And yet, back when that ’56 Chevy was new, it too, was a complex piece of machinery (relatively speaking), requiring skilled technicians to keep it running properly. Finding and training those techs was a challenge in those days. As Jeff Cooper wrote in the February 1957 issue of Motor Trend, “…literally millions of new cars, all loaded with complex and hurriedly assembled automatic gadgets, and all fitted with engines souped to power outputs far beyond original design loads, continue to pour out of the factories and onto the roads.” In 1940, before World War II, “…there were 72 relatively simple vehicles per mechanic, whereas in 1965 there will be 103 very complicated vehicles for each man to repair and maintain.”

Vocational training was the solution to this situation, wrote Cooper. “The day is passing when any youngster with a strong back and a willingness to get his hands greasy can pick up a few bucks tinkering with cars while he casts about for something better. The future ‘Doctor of Automotive Maintenance’ is going to be a highly skilled, well-informed professional type more comparable to an orthopedic surgeon than to a specialized, single-purpose laborer. And he will be rewarded with appropriate payment and prestige.”

Cooper’s story then became essentially a two-page commercial for National Schools, a vocational training facility in Los Angeles that also offered courses in radio, television and electronics. Automotive tech students went through a full-year program (18 months if they were taking the class at night) that started with “…the basic physics of the internal combustion engine and proceeds through such subjects as chassis, tools and automotive electricity to diesel-electric power, advanced tuning and automatic transmissions. Mechanisms for all types of automatic gadgetry are fully covered.”

In the photo, a National Schools instructor (center) is offering “…actual experience to more advanced students as they gain practical knowledge of how to diagnose and repair engine diseases. The correct use of time- and labor-saving equipment is heavily stressed.”

Makes you wonder what the industry will be like in another half century.

Jim Moore, senior director of OEM relations, has a 20-year career serving the automotive, racing and motorcycle industries.

Jim Moore has been hired to fill the senior director, OEM relations, role at SEMA.

Moore combines a 20-year career serving the automotive, racing and motorcycle industries with a deep passion for the performance aftermarket community. His Detroit roots stretch back to Car & Driver magazine before moving to Ford, where he worked with the Ford Racing and Performance Parts groups. In 2003, Moore relocated to Southern California, where he developed new-vehicle launch events for top OEMs, such as Chrysler, GM, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota. Most recently, Moore was directing the International Motorcycle Shows—the leading consumer-engagement platform for motorcycle OEM manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers.

“We are pleased to announce that Jim Moore is now part of the SEMA team. SEMA is committed to developing and maintaining strong relations with the OEM community, and working to enhance collaboration between the OEMs and the performance aftermarket industry as a whole,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA's president and CEO. “By hiring Jim, we have added an experienced player who knows both sides of the industry. We’re very fortunate to have him join our team.”

Moore currently lives in Santa Monica, California, with his wife and two young daughters.

Jim Moore, senior director of OEM relations, has a 20-year career serving the automotive, racing and motorcycle industries.

Jim Moore has been hired to fill the senior director, OEM relations, role at SEMA.

Moore combines a 20-year career serving the automotive, racing and motorcycle industries with a deep passion for the performance aftermarket community. His Detroit roots stretch back to Car & Driver magazine before moving to Ford, where he worked with the Ford Racing and Performance Parts groups. In 2003, Moore relocated to Southern California, where he developed new-vehicle launch events for top OEMs, such as Chrysler, GM, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota. Most recently, Moore was directing the International Motorcycle Shows—the leading consumer-engagement platform for motorcycle OEM manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers.

“We are pleased to announce that Jim Moore is now part of the SEMA team. SEMA is committed to developing and maintaining strong relations with the OEM community, and working to enhance collaboration between the OEMs and the performance aftermarket industry as a whole,” said Chris Kersting, SEMA's president and CEO. “By hiring Jim, we have added an experienced player who knows both sides of the industry. We’re very fortunate to have him join our team.”

Moore currently lives in Santa Monica, California, with his wife and two young daughters.

By Monika Earle

	Tips from SEMA Show veterans include: carry business cards, wear comfortable shoes, bring a backpack for snacks and water and don't plan on seeing everything in one day.

As the 2014 SEMA Show quickly approaches, attendees recently shared tips to help others get the most out of the annual event. Read what some SEMA Show Facebook fans had to say, and share your best tips in the comments area below.

“A backpack is a good option. It gives you room for all the swag and free stuff, but you can also pack water, snacks, a charger for your phone, etc. Pair that with comfy shoes, patience and breaking up areas for each day and you will have a much better experience.”

—Sal Danley

“Fifteen-year veteran's tips: 1. Comfy shoes but don't come dressed like you’re going to a BBQ (have some style, respect the trade). 2. Don't clog aisles/stairs/doorways. 3. Definitely buy your souvenir shirts and hats on the first day (your size always sells out). 4. Cover as many halls as possible by planning ahead and using semashow.com. 5. Plan on being [there] Friday for the SEMA Cruise (hands down the most exciting car event of the year). 6. Eat outside the convention center and avoid peak lunch times (11:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.). Food trucks between the LVCC and the hotel or restaurants inside the [Westgate] will have less crowding at these times.”

—Michael Robleto

“Business cards, comfortable shoes, buy SEMA shirts early because they go fast, be polite and professional and use the map…it is your friend.”

—Sean Miller

“Comfortable shoes and clothes for a long day (or days) of walking, water, a snack for being on the run, cell phone and charging pack (charging stations are a pain and leave you immobile at times), a little cash and don't forget your pocket camera (cell phones don't always take the best pics with the crowds, lighting and tight spaces in the aisles). With all that, a light backpack may be your best bag for being mobile. Hand carts tend to slow you down and get in the way.”

—Brandon Reeves

“Good shoes. Don’t plan on seeing it all in one day. I find seeing what I need to on the first day then taking everything else in for the rest of the week works best...but I generally head back to the hotel mid-afternoon. Power parade Friday (SEMA Cruise) is a must see!”

—Dale Nagel

“Good shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses, bring something to drink and have a good breakfast...You'll need it all! Make sure you know what you want to see/do and mark it on your map. That way you don't have to run around and you can skip what's not your interest. Enjoy Vegas!”

—Lisette van Es

“It's sensory overload! I recommend going for half or 2/3 day the first day, so you don't get yourself completely worn out for the rest of the show.”

—Bob Moon

“Look to see who is going be there and plan around the top five people you have to see. Comfortable shoes are helpful for sure and a backpack to carry all the swag you get so your hands are free to take pictures.”

—Joey Sanchez

“If you want to see everything, plan to attend all four days. If you've got less time, be sure to map out what you want to see and have a plan together. And as been said already, wear comfortable shoes.”

—Tony Moore