Possible new Performance Shop to open in Calgary.

[..*JDM Hatch*..]

To all Calgary and area car enthusiast's.

The idea of opening a new Performance shop in Calgary since Speedtech closed down has come to mind.

I want your input on what kind of facility you would like to see.Give examples such as,What kind of parts you would like to see in stock and on the shelves,What you would like for mechanical structure,such as if you would be interested in a Dyno and tuning to be available?,Aswell as brands you would like too see that are available in stock that you normaly dont. Idea's like that.

Aswell as would you be interested in an after hours hang out type of facility where you can go on a night when poor weather has come upon?

IF their is enough interest in the after hours hang out,place for socializing with other car enthusiast's,It would feature Pool tables,concession,Couches,tables,Etc.

I would like your input on what you think,Aswell as what you would like to see in a new performance Shop.All input is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

I am looking forward to hearing your input on this facility.

[Type_S1]

The hangout thing would be okay until dbags start showing up that don't care about cars.

I think a dyno would get some good business.

Please hire people that aren't such bitches like at speedtech. You wonder why stuff happened to them...well go and talk to half the staff and I would want to do shit to them as well. Make sure everyone is friendly and not stuck up assholes and treat customers right and you should be fine and keep both your ears.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

Would love to see a new shop open up. I would like to see a shop that has dyno tuning capabilities, custom alignment capabilities, and some general mechanical even though myself personally wouldn't need it. Also might be cool if it has bays with lifts you could rent out for a day or something for those that don't have their own garages. It would be great to have a place to bring in your vehicle if the weather sucks or for a meet, and just a general hang out.

[..*JDM Hatch*..]

Thank you for the post.The after hour hang out would be strictly for car enthusiasts only.Their wont be any sort of BS tollerated.If their is anyone that was starting to be confrontational.They would be asked to leave.And if they refuse,they will be escorted out.

As for the customer service,As i used to deal with STRD and recieved poor service because i was not in their to spend 10K on parts for an S2000 or 240.Customer service is the most important part of the facility plan.The employees in which would be working in thi facility will be nothing but helpful and great easy to deal with people.This facility will NOT be like STRD and how they treated cutomers with the whole "if you are not buying anything,GTFO" manor.If their are individuals that just want to stop by and just hang out and ask some questions about their car,parts,future mods.It would be absolutely fine with myself aswell as the other employees.

As for a Dyno,I am thinking it would bring lots of customers.Their would be days such as some weekends when we would have an "open" dyno day.Where you just bring your car and see what it can do just for the hell of it,and at no charge.

[Twin_Cam_Turbo]

I think the biggest thing is good customer service and making it more like a shop for a group of Calgary Car Enthusiasts who want to get to know each other more and just enjoy vehicles.

[..*JDM Hatch*..]

Originally posted by Twin_Cam_Turbo
Would love to see a new shop open up. I would like to see a shop that has dyno tuning capabilities, custom alignment capabilities, and some general mechanical even though myself personally wouldn't need it. Also might be cool if it has bays with lifts you could rent out for a day or something for those that don't have their own garages. It would be great to have a place to bring in your vehicle if the weather sucks or for a meet, and just a general hang out.

For the dyno,i kow their would be quite a few people interested in tuning.Including myself.The shop would feature an in ground dyno,as for the wrx guy's.Not to worry,this would be an all wheel drive dyno awell.I know it is a pain when you have an AWD and most dyno's around are 2wd.

2nd.As for extra lifts in the facility that could be rented out daily.I was thinking about doing that for a small fee,and plus signing a waiver.Lifts would be inspected before use to ensure that it is safe and nobody gets hurt.

3rd. As for the hang out,I thaught really hard about the idea of letting all sorts of people into the facility after hours.But as long as everyone abides by the rules that will be set. Ex: No smoking inside the facility,no fighting,breaking stuff,aswell as stealing.But if this will get enough attention for the car community to come together and be able to all get along and have a good time.It would all be worth it,hands down.

Thank you.

[Redlyne_mr2]

I have had friends who have tried to setup shops similar to what your idea is and all have failed. Friends who hang out at the shop aren't the ones who pay the bills. At the end of the day revenue comes from parts sales and that's what you have to focus on.
To be a sucessful parts shop you need to have a strong website with pricing so that you can capture customers outside of your area. A parts shop in Western Canada that does well is imageinmotion.com because they have such a good website with pricing competitive to that of the US. Walk in clients are a very smaller portion of the business.

If you want to be a sucessful tuner shop you have to know how to design and market your own parts, eg AMS, A&j racing etc. That takes a huge amount of capital and is as very cut throat business, if you screw up just once it can damage your image forever.

Redlyne Jr. runs a parts business called Revwerks. He is getting busier and busier now that STRD is gone but you really need to build up a client base before you commit to commercial space and open a shop. As of right now Revwerks is a basement operation.

[Ca_Silvia13]

Easy, dyno tuning. IMO this should be you cornerstone to any part supplier businesses. Easy to sell parts when you have dyno proof. The hang out, lift rental meh. Tune my car and when it breaks, sell me parts.

That is all

[CMW403]

I voted no.

Judging by your complete lack of spelling and grammar capabilities I can already tell that it is not a good idea for you to open a business.

:D

[..*JDM Hatch*..]

Originally posted by CMW403
I voted no.

Judging by your complete lack of spelling and grammar capabilities I can already tell that it is not a good idea for you to open a business.

:D

Lol

Thank you.

[st184]

Performance shop with a bubble tea bar :thumbsup:. I would go weekly.

[texasnick]

IMO, if you want to open up a parts store, as stated above, a good website and competitive pricing are a must.

If you're opening up a shop where people are going to hand over their prized posession, and $10,000+ of their hard earned money for you to build them something worthwhile, you're going to need a bit more substance than the fact that you're simply an enthusiast.

You need to build MORE than one car, and they had better be damn decent builds, before anyone will even consider having you build them a car.

Dyno is a plus, but would be expensive to set up, and you could just rent one of the other dyno's in town.

Experience is the key in opening up a successful tuner shop.

edit: and what's with the hate on STRD? You get dbags at every shop. I thought the majority of the guys there were nice. They never minded just shooting the shit with me knowing very well I wasn't going to spend a dime that day. Of course, if a customer came in, I would STFU and let them do their job.

I really hope this isn't an instance of having a bad experience at STRD and thinking you can do it better. I think there's a lot more thought and work involved in a shop like STRD than most people here will give credit for.

[ericchoweg]

i dont see it happening at all sorry to burst your bubble

i think redlyne jr's revwerks is the closest you would get to a new shop opening here unless strd opened its doors again

building a client base is going to be hard even for strd i think maintaining there client base was becoming hard to do and thats prolly one of the reasons they shut their doors

[..*JDM Hatch*..]

Originally posted by texasnick
IMO, if you want to open up a parts store, as stated above, a good website and competitive pricing are a must.

If you're opening up a shop where people are going to hand over their prized posession, and $10,000+ of their hard earned money for you to build them something worthwhile, you're going to need a bit more substance than the fact that you're simply an enthusiast.

You need to build MORE than one car, and they had better be damn decent builds, before anyone will even consider having you build them a car.

Dyno is a plus, but would be expensive to set up, and you could just rent one of the other dyno's in town.

Experience is the key in opening up a successful tuner shop.

I understand what you are saying when you talk about a strong website with competitive pricing.As that will come once the final decision is made if we decide to open the facility.

As for building cars.Their will be a selection of cars built that we decide in the future.Rightnow we are in the stages on getting input from Calgary's car community to see if they would be interested in something like this to come upon in the near future.

To come down to the dyno issue.I would like to have my own dyno on site to avoid hassle.Sure it is expensive,but would be well worth it in the end.

[..*JDM Hatch*..]

Originally posted by ericchoweg
i dont see it happening at all sorry to burst your bubble

i think redlyne jr's revwerks is the closest you would get to a new shop opening here unless strd opened its doors again

building a client base is going to be hard even for strd i think maintaining there client base was becoming hard to do and thats prolly one of the reasons they shut their doors

This is why i am coming to beyond to see if their would be enough interest in something like this to open.It is not in my plans to spend 5 million dollars on a facility that nobody will enjoy and support.However,If their is enough support i will have no problem spending that kind of money on a facility that will keep Calgarys car community alive,aswell as give them a good shop to go to.

[civicrider]

Shops come and go in Calgary, not enough of a market unless you deal drugs on the side. If you want to lose money its a great business to get into.

[89coupe]

This City can't even support a race track, let alone another performance shop...LOL:rofl:

[..*JDM Hatch*..]

Originally posted by civicrider
Shops come and go in Calgary, not enough of a market unless you deal drugs on the side. If you want to lose money its a great business to get into.

Well dealing drugs on the side is a forsure a no go.
For the rest of the plans for the facility,I am going to go through every detail with my partners this evening then decide what we want to do.

[texasnick]

Originally posted by ..*JDM Hatch*..
As for building cars.Their will be a selection of cars built that we decide in the future.Rightnow we are in the stages on getting input from Calgary's car community to see if they would be interested in something like this to come upon in the near future.


See that's the problem though. You have to build the cars in order to gauge interest in your shop. Trust me, no one is going to have you build a car for them if they've never seen a car you have built.

[..*JDM Hatch*..]

Originally posted by texasnick


See that's the problem though. You have to build the cars in order to gauge interest in your shop. Trust me, no one is going to have you build a car for them if they've never seen a car you have built.

For the start of the shop it will consist of selling parts to get going.I'm not about to spend $100,000.00 on a car just for people to look at.

[Phenix]

If it's an after hours hangout place, something where we can wash cars would be awesome!!!

[..*JDM Hatch*..]

Originally posted by Phenix
If it's an after hours hangout place, something where we can wash cars would be awesome!!!

This is another reason why i am trying to figure out how many people would be interested in something like this.Depending how many people are interested will decide if i get a smaller store front building for the shop with a few bays in the back,Or a smaller wearhouse where we can have cars parked inside.

[89coupe]

There are three shops in Calgary thats seem to do well.

Davenport Racing - Caters to big money domestic builds.

The Mustang Shop - Caters to the Ford community and has a very large US customer base.

& Tunerworks. Caters to the big money Import & Euro crowd.

They have stood the test of time.

[EG_Civic]

Original Post Removed. (Please read the Forum Rules and Terms of Use (http://forums.beyond.ca/articles.php?action=data&item=1) before posting again, or risk getting banned).

found a local site for calgary while i was browsing some forums last week. online based

speedoptions.ca

[cjay^]

Alright, in my opinion I would keep selling parts and doing actual work on cars separate, although they can still be owned and operated by the same company. I think part of the problem with Speedtech having outrageous prices on their stock is simply the overhead of a having a retail store. From the quotes I received for various parts from Speedtech, they just couldn't compete with online distributors. Even after paying $80 in shipping for my Koyo Radiator from FRsport.com, it was still cheaper than getting one from Speedtech. Plus I would have had to wait regardless as Speedtech didn't have any in stock.

So if you wan't to sell parts I think it would be smarter to stay away from a retail location and just distribute out of a warehouse. I don't need to look at a turbo on a shelf before I buy it. If its Garrett and the size I'm looking for, I don't need to pick it up and play around with it in a store before I buy it.

Next, for working on cars I would have a small location with a few bays to start out. If someone looked at your website and wanted a specific part as well as installation, they could easily drop their car off at your small shop and you could have the part delivered to the shop cheaply.

This way you can capitalize on the entire Canadian market for selling parts, as well as the local market for selling parts, installations, tuning, repairs, and etc, all while maintaining low overhead.

[unknownsleeper]

cjay knows what he is talking about i agree with a small shop at first, and fix up my gt4 for a shop car, i will suport your shop

[89coupe]

LOL, you always here the same line. I would support your shop...LOL.

Then you get a call from that guy with a question, hey man, what kind of deal can you give me on a air filter...LOL.

:facepalm: :rofl:

[Mitsu3000gt]

I think the lounge would attract way too many d-bags, cruising around with loud Canadian tire exhausts on their civics, spending a bunch of money to get from 125 to 127hp.

Seems like it would be hard to compete with Tunerworks, but I am not overly familiar with all the shops in Calgary.

[Redlyne_mr2]

The scene has really changed up here in Calgary and around North America as well. Back in the day all of us were dropping our entire paycheques on our builds. It was common to see a car with $30 000 + invested in it and those really hardcore about the scene were in the $70 000 + range. Because JDM parts were also hard to get the shops who could get these parts were charging a premium and they made a fortune doing that. Now with the internet everyone has undercut the next guy and the big builds are either backed by a shop or a corporation. The extreme builds by privateers are few and far between. Myself as well as all the other tuners that I know are done spending $20 000 + a year on car mods.

[Phenix]

well I know there is the massive old Enerflex shop up for sale. could do indoor racing and everything else all inside. lol

[tirebob]

Shops that are hangouts are generally money losers...

People who hang out tend to be, or become friends, and friends are the cheapest customers you will ever have as they always expect a deal. Not that there is anything wrong with hooking up friends, just that they are not money makers.

If you look at the most successful storefront shops, they are successful because they have cultivated a customer base that is willing to pay a bit more money to have someone help them choose what is appropriate for their needs and deal with the importation etc because their own time is worth more not dealing with ordering online and finding someone to install the goods or do it themselves. They want knowledge and customer service, not just the cheapest price. They don't want to get taken advantage of by any means, but they understand that professionalism takes knowledgable and experienced people, and that kind of staff is not as cheap as you might think. Many of these type of people do not feel totally comfortable going to a hang out shop either as they are usually more successful with money and don't need to scrimp and save for parts etc, and they want to deal in a professional feeling enviroment and less of a hangout. Not everyone of course, but they are a good part of a successful automotive business.

If you cultivate an online store, you are always at the mercy of exchange because all your customers are going to see you right beside a ton of US compaies who simply have a cost advantage over canadian companies or are selling goods for cost or less just to free up cash, and online shoppers don't care where the goods come from, so long as they are cheaper, so they are not money making customers for the retail store.

If you have an online store with a retail store, your retail customers want to pay online prices and with the cost of storefront in Calgary, good luck surviving long term on that. A lot of online only stores in Canada look attractive, but many are money losers and fail as a course of time because you just can't sell stuff and make no money to compete with US online stores and survive long term. The online aspect of car parts is up and down constantly with the dollar. Times are good when our dollar is weak aginst the US and sucks when our dollar is strong against the US.

The type of business model you are talking about will mostly attract a younger, enthusiest only crowd. While this is one very legitimate target group, they are hard to survive on because most of them have yet to "make it" in life yet, so pennies mean more to them, and they are usually a lot more technologically savy and internet shop because it is worth their time to save the extra bucks, so they are harder to make a buck with as they will come and go with the best price as opposed to the best service.

Now none of this is written in stone in every instance, but I can guarantee you as someone who has been relatively successful in the aftermarket automotive aspect of business from 1987 until today, this is definitely a real picture of what you can expect to see.

My advice is to specialize in one apect of the business (be it retail or online) or the other, and keep it simple and grow only as fast as you are able to do easily. Try and take on too much at once and you will have a huge overhead right out of the gate and little customer base to make that nut you need to cover that overhead every month, as the right customer base that makes your business money long term takes a long time to develope...

Now if you have limitless funds to do whatever you want for however long it takes before you are making money, it could be vastly different for you, but be careful or you will hemmorage money!

[max_boost]

Well said redlyne_mr2 and Bob.

The scene has changed and it's tough business to be in. You are almost better opening a general mechanical shop but do some tuner stuff on the side. Everyone's still looking for an Option Import replacement since they closed shop. My $0.02

[TomcoPDR]

OP I'm sorry but I have to play the devil's advocate here... For the most, you shouldn't have to ask for justification before starting a business. If you know you belong, then just do it. (know your skills, know what your biz offers, know your clients, know your stuff, know your competitive prices)

Just based on the way your question was formed, doesn't seem you're FULLY comfortable within your niche market in the industry. Have you tried working for other performance or (pun) "tuner" shops? Get the feel, get how it's ran, etc...

Know where you stand before you make a move... Despite popular beliefs, I actually wasn't that cool back in high school. Your question parallels my old nerdy self asking Sarah "IF she ends up going to Steve's party this weekend will she dance with me?" Whereby if you got juice, you don't gots to ask cuz bitches will just be up in your pimp. If your performance shop got good builds and all, people will just show up and check it out/maybe buy things.

And IMHO, do NOT even travel down the (open to public) "hangout" road. As mentioned above: d-bag, unsolicted invitees (strangers), giving new customer impression its just a "get outta trouble" daddy's money shop.

I completely understand where you're coming from on the "hangout" topic (trying to show you're "offering" customer something), but trust me it's not the place. There're far more responsiblity and liability that comes with this, whether you're buying a shop building (which cost into the 6-7 figures) or leasing (which you have legal obligations and consequences with your landlord), most cases when these "hangouts" happen, the concerns could be from loud music (think of surrounding area around the shop, what about the business neighbours or location if it effects public streets)... the CONTROL of individuals (you are responsible and liable for their actions under YOUR open invitation; or anyone they might invite hereafter)...

End of the day if you wanna do something "cool" with a car community as a car shop... go to car shows (i.e. Driven, Show n' Shines) As those are usually organized as a family event, daytime not midnight hangout time, most cases will have City of Calgary event permits, and can attract more people to view your business/cars... There are Beyond meets every Wednesday at Chinook centre parking lot.

Hell if you wanna be nice, just make a Beyond announcement you're hosting a private pay event at a local Billiard, Denny's, paid entry to Race City sponsored by (your business), etc...

But this is based on actual experience, do not mix business with pleasure (i.e. you listed pool table), JUST to rely on the "pleasure" perks in hope to get business. (it's different for dealerships to have playpens, video game/TV, cafeteria because people already are there to do business, not to hangout for free parties without responsiblity/liability to your property or leased space)

Anyways good luck with your venture.

[msommers]

Have you considered running a web-based parts store? Sucks getting everything from the states all the time. I look for Canadian parts just to avoid the hassle of duty and waiting such a long time for ground packages.

[CUG]

Originally posted by ..*JDM Hatch*..


IF their is enough interest in the after hours hang out,place for socializing with other car enthusiast's,It would feature Pool tables,concession,Couches,tables,Etc.

I am looking forward to hearing your input on this facility.

I'd be careful on the hangout thing, that seems like a lot of extra expense. I'd have a customers lounge, for sure, but don't have it open all day, or you'll have the 18 year old who bought some headlight covers off of you up there acting like a roller all day long. I'd make it exclusive to customers, staff and their guests, but only on certain nights, and make it badass.

That said, I don't pay shop or retail rates for anything, so you probably won't see me in there :(

As for the business end of it:

-AWD dyno, hire a Toma to run it
-Engine builder, but a legit one with demonstrated history of engine building excellence
-Couple of hoists..

Basically buy Calgary Autoworks and clean the upstairs out for a lounge.

Brad and Tirbob pretty much nailed it though. You have to be spinning profits, and keep your friends in the few in terms of "deals". You don't want to be middle-manning parts for people all day from the wholesalers and not taking a cut from it.

[Graham_A_M]

honestly listen to what Tirebob. Tomco & CUG has to say, those are words of wisdom.

;)

And yes, absolutely hire a gifted tech that knows WTF they are doing. I know a few guys on here that are just amazing at that. PM me if you want their contact info.

Also, it all comes down to honesty & accountability. :)

[403Gemini]

If you do start a shop, I wouldn't necessarily have a hang out spot cept maybe the bubble tea / car wash area idea, cause those are money makers.

Biggest thing is the staff. Have them enthusiastic. If a kid wants to come in and pimp up their aveo , have your staff excited for him and talk about future builds etc. Keep the client excited about what he has and PROMOTE him. Seems dumb, but even if it's visual mods, that dude will probably keep going back to the shop that talks about what hes doing vs a snobby shop who has the sacrastic smirk coupled with an eye roll when he asks for 17" rims on his aveo.

If there IS a "hang out" space, promote community with the customers, not just customers + staff. Maybe introduce a new client to a few of the regulars if they're around. It would be nice to see a community building shop, but don't lose business doing it!

[Revhard]

As mentioned, the shop business is pretty well covered. The keys to being successful if you look at Tunerworks and Davenport are:
Don't try to be the cheapest. Sell professionalism with every part
If you are going to do installs, stick mostly to simple ones on brand new cars. Superchargers, and turbo kits that are designed to be installed DIY.
Wheels and install.
Service is everything. This is the only advantage to a local purchase, so hammer it home.
Offer track days so customers can meet each other and they can bring friends who could be future customers.
The hangout sounds cool, but it won't pay any bills.

[JRSC00LUDE]

Originally posted by civicrider
Shops come and go in Calgary, not enough of a market unless you deal drugs on the side. If you want to lose money its a great business to get into.

This.

Like an all you can eat chinese buffet, it's a great way to clean money. As a legitimate business, you are going to have a VERY hard go of it.

Save your money and go buy a Tim Hortons.

[..*JDM Hatch*..]

To all of the people that replied to this post with input.

Last night i had a meeting with the partner that would be in this with myself.We went over all the plan of the shop features,finances,facility size,location,getting started process,customer lounge idea,etc.

As to the start of opening this facility my partner and myself want to start with a smaller shop,But still that features room for a few lifts,hoists,and room for a dyno.The two of us will run it from the very start to get everything started up.As neither of us are certified mechanics we will not be able to offer mechanical work to be conducted for the first little bit upo opening this shop.However we will still be able to do smaller/more general work (ie.Tire changes,balancing,wheel installs,exhaust installs,CAI's,lights,Etc.) This will only be a temperary part though.Once everything is up and going we will hire a certified mechanic aswell as a certain individual with great tuning experiance.

The shop will be a front face store to open up,Depending on if the shop can attract enough support aswell as income.Further down the road the facility size will increase.Now for those that are still wondering about the hang out,There will still be a hang out/get together at the shop,this will happen 1 or 2 days a week.At this time their are no set days.

Thanks.

please keep the input coming,it's greatly appreciated.

[Zewind]

hey JDM - I was looking into this regarding adding it into my race track idea. But it looked like too much for me to bit off.


Let me know how things good.

[..*JDM Hatch*..]

Originally posted by Zewind
hey JDM - I was looking into this regarding adding it into my race track idea. But it looked like too much for me to bit off.


Let me know how things go.

Pm'd

[taemo]

out of curiosity.. for how many years was Speedtech open?

But agree with what someone said already.. you're better off opening a mechanic shop with tuner on the side.
TBH when I first saw the thread title, I was thinking of Option Imports right away.

[..*JDM Hatch*..]

Originally posted by taemo
out of curiosity.. for how many years was Speedtech open?

I believe 5 years or so.Maybe a litte longer.


But agree with what someone said already.. you're better off opening a mechanic shop with tuner on the side.
Off the start i am planning on doing it the other way around.Parts shop,but will feature a mecahnical side shorty afte it opens.And to set this straight,This shop will not be only import/tuner parts,will be general parts available for all makes and models.Cars,trucks,Suv's,Jeep,Etc.


TBH when I first saw the thread title, I was thinking of Option Imports right away.

[CUG]

Originally posted by ..*JDM Hatch*..


I believe 5 years or so.Maybe a litte longer.


Off the start i am planning on doing it the other way around.Parts shop,but will feature a mecahnical side shorty afte it opens.And to set this straight,This shop will not be only import/tuner parts,will be general parts available for all makes and models.Cars,trucks,Suv's,Jeep,Etc.
Why not see if the guy at Togo tire is looking to sell and make him an offer? Good building and a pretty good location... Lots of room for stock/shop/office.. they're all tires, so you're still a business if you lose your mechanic.

[Shlade]

If your serious in opening one up... Please dont go charging $15 to buy a gay yellow sticker to support your business and have people stick them on ugly ass beaters :thumbsup:

[93VR6]

I would go the tuning and mechanic route.

I just don't see how you could ever have parts prices that even come close to competing with online prices.

[Myz]

If you do succeed in opening this store, I can't say i'd hang out there (considering i'm 5Hrs North of you) but one thing's for sure....Start doing some decent dyno tuning on some stand alone ECU's as well as piggy backs & i'd sure as hell tow my car down to you....

I still can't wrap my mind around throwing >10k at your motor then doing an e-tune or road tune:facepalm:

Not that you're asking for my advice but if I could offer it freely.
something that would help build your name & business is the fact that you'd be willing to stand behind your work. my tuner back home had the policy where if you were unhappy with the tune he did on your piggyback or stand alone, he'd offer a 100% refund & return the car to its original map. Also, his dyno tunes were a flat rate charge irrespective how long it took him.I recall him once battling with a car for 2 days & even though the owner was happy to drive off with the car after day 1, my mate's experience told him to not to release the car since it should be putting out much more @ the wheels. A day later, he found the fault & handed the car over to the customer who went from happy, to ecstatic.
My mates idea was that he did the dyno tunes for the street cred....Not the money.
So he got his payout when he saw a car run down the strip in a lightning fast time & heard ppl say "Powertek Tuned That Car"

Not to ramble on butYou get my point.

[talonboi]

Opening up a shop is not the easy at all.
shops that have managed to stay open for a long time like;

Davenport
Tunerworks
RCTS
Autodream
Speedtech

(Speedtech may have closed down, but while they were open, they did contribute alot to the import scene.)

but each company specialize in cetrain things.

Tunerworks are mostly wheels and tires, they know their shit!
i always enjoyed dealing with Mark Lacey

RCTS is a top notch shop with very good mechanics, all of the techs are certified. this shop specialize in Toyota, BMW, and ive seen a twincharged lotus elise

Autodream has been in business for 6-7 years and is still going strong. Specialize in Nissan's, engine building, and tuning. they offer in-house dyno tuning, in house welding and fabricating. and have a certified tech on site.

SpeedTech, i have had no problems dealing them. great guys to deal. they specialized in Honda's. ive dealt with many guys there over the years. Pat, Will, Rocky, Jacky, Paul, Tein, Allen, and Nick...All great guys to deal with, and have a ton of experiance.

Just to clear some things up, i work for autodream and have been employed for the past 4-5 years, and seeing how things are ran, i can safely say it is not easy to open a shop and keep it running!

one of the hardest thing in running a successful shop is employees. you must find people who you can trust, who have the proper knowledge. you dont want people leaving your shop thinking "wow what an idiot"

there are 2 reasons why most shops dont have Dyno's.

#1 - They are very expensive ranging from $50,000 - $100,000

#2 - do you or your partner know how to tune?

Reg, Toma, and Nguyen know how to tune and been doing it for many years, and i can tell you right now, there is still more for them to learn.

IMO Start small and let it grow into a big business. Another "tuner" shop opening up isnt another competion for me, but another shop to help and vice versa.

Good luck:thumbsup:

[PD77]

Something to consider as well is that a new AWD dyno is up and running and it just happens to be owned by the tuner who does 95% of the Subarus around. He also does Evo's so that market is pretty much his.

[jalalx5]

The hangout thing is a good idea but only if its well organized, if its an everyday thing I can see Dbags hanging out everyday there.

As for the shope idea, I think its great as long as you start out small, I know the dynos will be a big hit. But the car wash thing might come by later on.
A descent mechanical shop for import cars will be nice to have in calgary and you can do the whole parts thing on the side as well but dont rely on it that much.

[Cos]

Parts are easy to get.... it is a decent shop that is a bitch. Lets even say for 4x4. National 4x4 in blackfoot has close to a 4 month wait when I called them last week. Modern motors has yet to call me back. The guy I know doesnt want to do the specific work (lift kit removal and drop shackle installation).


Total work for me is about 3 hours of my time. I just dont want to do it. It seems the people who can do it are too expensive and the people who I want to do it are backed up like crazy. Parts are $65.00 so I dont know how you could make money on that. Plus I wouldnt want you to order parts for me.



Personally, and as others have said, I have better things to do with my time than work on my vehicles now. Tirebob/TireGary will be doing my rims and tires even though I could save $150.00 off tire rack. Same goes with a shop that will do this work for me. It is 5 bolts if you have a hoist.

[skylinegtr20]

Originally posted by 89coupe
There are three shops in Calgary thats seem to do well.

Davenport Racing - Caters to big money domestic builds.

The Mustang Shop - Caters to the Ford community and has a very large US customer base.

& Tunerworks. Caters to the big money Import & Euro crowd.

They have stood the test of time.

RCTS?

Reg has it made... very small location with 3 hoists, dyno, no actual storefront just office, very good reputation/customer base and the experience to back it up. Not the best location, o well word of mouth rules the business for sure.

As for actually ideas tirebob basically said everything on my mind.

[Wrath]

I worked @ Davenport for almost 5 years....Steve has spent a lifetime making mistakes and learning from them. He now has a top notch business model that works wonders.

But working there has assured me that opening a shop is one of the most risky business ventures EVER. Steve has been through more stress that anyone I've known.

and also to quote a good friend of mine (Matt Mitchell owner of the mustang shop)

"Closing the installation shop was the best thing I ever did for this business...I know can make money..."

[THEMONK]

Have accessories for domestic V8's aswell.

[soloracer]

Originally posted by talonboi
Opening up a shop is not the easy at all.
shops that have managed to stay open for a long time like;

Davenport
Tunerworks
RCTS
Autodream
Speedtech

(Speedtech may have closed down, but while they were open, they did contribute alot to the import scene.)

but each company specialize in cetrain things.

Tunerworks are mostly wheels and tires, they know their shit!
i always enjoyed dealing with Mark Lacey

RCTS is a top notch shop with very good mechanics, all of the techs are certified. this shop specialize in Toyota, BMW, and ive seen a twincharged lotus elise

Autodream has been in business for 6-7 years and is still going strong. Specialize in Nissan's, engine building, and tuning. they offer in-house dyno tuning, in house welding and fabricating. and have a certified tech on site.

SpeedTech, i have had no problems dealing them. great guys to deal. they specialized in Honda's. ive dealt with many guys there over the years. Pat, Will, Rocky, Jacky, Paul, Tein, Allen, and Nick...All great guys to deal with, and have a ton of experiance.

Just to clear some things up, i work for autodream and have been employed for the past 4-5 years, and seeing how things are ran, i can safely say it is not easy to open a shop and keep it running!

one of the hardest thing in running a successful shop is employees. you must find people who you can trust, who have the proper knowledge. you dont want people leaving your shop thinking "wow what an idiot"

there are 2 reasons why most shops dont have Dyno's.

#1 - They are very expensive ranging from $50,000 - $100,000

#2 - do you or your partner know how to tune?

Reg, Toma, and Nguyen know how to tune and been doing it for many years, and i can tell you right now, there is still more for them to learn.

IMO Start small and let it grow into a big business. Another "tuner" shop opening up isnt another competion for me, but another shop to help and vice versa.

Good luck:thumbsup:

You forgot about Concept-1. Ken has been around for a while too.

[soloracer]

In regards to whoever suggested a car wash, I would say forget it. Someone I know who specializes in buying and selling businesses told me that he looked at the books of over a dozen car washes and not a single one of them was making any money. The owners were basically counting on an increase in property value to cash in on. The business was worth zero.

[ekguy]

I think alot of people would like a shop that will 1) not rip off people that aren't knowledgeable about cars but still love them 2) will not treat car noobs like noobs haha. Basically take good care of customers who may seem shy about asking questions and explaining what is being done and why.

[84stock]

Originally posted by soloracer
In regards to whoever suggested a car wash, I would say forget it. Someone I know who specializes in buying and selling businesses told me that he looked at the books of over a dozen car washes and not a single one of them was making any money. The owners were basically counting on an increase in property value to cash in on. The business was worth zero.

That's what "the books say", but a lot of the coin operated washed pocket a ton of the cash.

Imagine what peters hamburgers books say? They take "cash only" and there are no registers. The staff add up the bill with a pencil on the countertop.

[M.alex]

Originally posted by Wrath
I worked @ Davenport for almost 5 years....Steve has spent a lifetime making mistakes and learning from them. He now has a top notch business model that works wonders.

But working there has assured me that opening a shop is one of the most risky business ventures EVER. Steve has been through more stress that anyone I've known.

and also to quote a good friend of mine (Matt Mitchell owner of the mustang shop)

"Closing the installation shop was the best thing I ever did for this business...I know can make money..."

Since you worked there for so long, I've got a question for ya - what was the point of setting up shop in the North, when he lives in the South and the majority (As far as i know) of the people who go there are south-based as well?

If I were a business owner last thing I'd want to have to do si commute up/down Deerfoot that distance every bloody day.

[redsrt4]

and dont forget the domestic car parts too (srt4,cobalt ss,saturn ion redline, etc)

[Shlade]

Originally posted by M.alex


Since you worked there for so long, I've got a question for ya - what was the point of setting up shop in the North, when he lives in the South and the majority (As far as i know) of the people who go there are south-based as well?

If I were a business owner last thing I'd want to have to do si commute up/down Deerfoot that distance every bloody day.

Steve`s the owner right? Big fat guy?

[bastardchild]

Tunerworks is already dominating the scene so I don't see a point. But good luck to whoever.

[M.alex]

Originally posted by Shlade


Steve`s the owner right? Big fat guy?

Yea (Although that's a rather crude way to put it :rofl: )

[Wrath]

Originally posted by M.alex


Since you worked there for so long, I've got a question for ya - what was the point of setting up shop in the North, when he lives in the South and the majority (As far as i know) of the people who go there are south-based as well?

If I were a business owner last thing I'd want to have to do si commute up/down Deerfoot that distance every bloody day.

Davenport has been there since the 90's...It's a pretty large space and I believe the rent is decent. But really.....It doesn't matter where you are are. If you know your shit and back up your claims, people will come to you. If fact probably 50% of the customers (when I was there) were from out of Town.

Steve's customers are not a guy who drives by the shop...most have been referred or are return customers, and... if you are going to spend 20K on a brand new 80K car...the area of the city the shop is in is probably the LAST thing on your mind.

[KandabashiDevil]

Originally posted by bastardchild
Tunerworks is already dominating the scene so I don't see a point.