OWNED & DROVE THE SAME CAR FOR 82 YEARS

They certainly don’t make them like that anymore.

1,070,000 that’s miles not kilometres!!

That’s British engineering of a bygone era. I don’t think they
make them like that any
more.

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IOn November 12, 2012, Gail Dunn of Women’s Automotive Connection will be featured on the Marie Show on the Hallmark Channel.  Be sure to tune in.  Marie is so much fun to be with and watch.

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I promised to tell the story of my trip to California, which included filming a segment for the new Marie Osmond Show on the Hallmark Channel, and being at a filming of the Tonight Show and meeting Jay Leno. To do so, I have to take you back to how it began.

After a year on the air with a weekly one hour show on WBCX, 89.1 FM, called Garage Gab, I learned that the knowledge I was sharing would be helpful to many in the general public.

So, I worked with some terrific people to put together a pilot for a half hour TV show. After many months of filming, editing, designing and producing the packaging, I believe we had put together something that would get the attention needed to move forward with marketing.

After I was on Motorweek, I had made some contacts around the country. One of these gave the pilot package to Jay Leno. Jay called me one evening and we talked about the package, cars and his opinion of what we were offering. This was in April 2012, and he was very complimentary and encouraging about the project.

In May, I was contacted by Beth Cochran, a producer for Marie on Hallmark with a request that I come out to California and film a segment for the new show they were putting together.

That is how we began this part of the journey. After finding out what kind of material was expected, we put together a plan to drive out to California. I contacted Jay’s office and got us access to the Tonight Show and Jay to go along with the filming we were going to do for Marie.

We left on September 4 and drove 3 ½ days across the country in my MINI. The trip was a spectacular view of parts of the country I had never seen in the southwest.

I cannot put into words the beauty of the scenery we saw; you would have to just go there. Of special note was Texas Canyon in Arizona. All I can say is “breathtaking”!!

Once in California, things began to happen quickly. We had reserved seats for the Tonight Show on September 6^th and went to the “green room” after to meet, talk, and have pictures taken with Jay Leno. The staff of that show was so very accommodating and pleasant. When we left, we went to Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank. Every Friday night, locals bring in all of their classic cars to put on display. There we saw ’64 Nova, ’72 Grand Torino, Super Bee, ’58 Mercedes Convertible, ’56 and ’57 Bel Airs, and many others that brought back memories. MINI was the only one of her breed in attendance.

That Saturday, we drove out to Malibu, which was a real disappointment to me. It is so built up along the shore that you cannot see the ocean. Funny though, we stopped for a cold drink at a fast food restaurant (remember we are in Malibu, California) and the only restroom they had was a porta-potty outside. Laughed so much it hurt. We came back the northern route and did find some places to get a view of the Pacific.

On Sunday, we were invited to the home of Vicki Mack, a photographer of some note, who is well connected in the entertainment industry. She lives in Palos Verdes and the scenery there was much more picturesque that the valley. Don Christy took us on a tour of the area and we got quite a history lesson on the area.

Monday, I had to burn off some gas in the MINI before I turned it over to the studio on Tuesday. So, I just meandered throughout the San Fernando Valley just taking in all of the unique topography. I had no destination in mind, and enjoyed just seeing the sights.

The schedule for Tuesday turned pretty hectic. I needed some clean clothes, there was still too much gas in the car, and the MINI needed to be detailed and dolled up to turn over to the studio by 3:30. Having accomplished all of that, we went to studio. The producers, Beth Cochran and Ned Truslow, were waiting for us and gave us the lay of the land.

There were a couple of things that took me by surprise while we were there.

The MINI had to be back through a relatively narrow door to get her on stage. I offered to do this, as I was unsure that anyone there had experience with a convertible and its blind spots. It was an easy task and one that I was VERY happy to do for them.

The other was the plan for the segment we were going to film. Since it is Marie’s show, I went out with the impression that she would be asking questions of me and I would be telling and showing responses. Ned advised me that I would be “driving the train” on the filming and Marie would follow my lead. Needless to say, I had to revise my thinking.

On Wednesday, we arrived at the studio at noon for hair, make up, and a run through. Once again, I had to get the MINI in place. Then, Ned (standing in for Marie) and I did a quick run through of the sequence of items we were going to cover. The director said we would have about half an hour before shooting, so I headed off stage. They changed their minds, and said we were going to shoot immediately. Marie, who is such a friendly and charming lady, came on stage for us to get started. After we became acquainted and let the audience in on what we were going to do, off we went!

I only had a few minutes and according to the producer, we nailed the timing!! Whew! No much time to think and certainly nothing in the plan that would allow us to retake it if I flubbed anything. Thankfully, I didn’t.

At this point, I need to say how overwhelmed I was. Upon returning to the hotel, I broke down in tears. Just thinking of all of the help and support I had in getting to where I had just been left me feeling so grateful and happy. So many people had expressed how proud they were of me, and I have never had that in my life. Thanks to EVERYONE!

A celebration was in order and we found a place on Venture Blvd called Brats Brothers. I indulged in a genuine German Bratwurst with an authentic German beer. Dessert was the most scrumptious strudel with almond whipped cream that I have ever put in my mouth.

The next morning, we packed up and headed on via I-40 (having gone out I-20) for another view of the southern tier of states. The only glitch we ran into was n Gallup, NM. Upon arrival in the evening, there were no hotel rooms in the entire town, and the next nearest accommodations were in Grants, NM, an hour away. So the second day of driving home ended up with us stopping later than we liked.

Got home around 8:30 Saturday night, September 15^th and was happy to be here. I can tell you, though, drivers in Atlanta are much more aggressive than they are in LA. There may be more of them out there, but they do not try to kill each other on the roads.

Today, September 19^th, I was back in my seat on WBCX and in the trenches after playing catch up for three days.

I do not know what will come of the contacts we made while we were in California, but it was an awesome trip.

The next chapter is waiting to be written and I cannot wait for the next adventure.

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As most of you who are close to me know, I have been given a wonderful opportunity to again be on television.  This time to do a segment for the new Marie Osmond show on the Hallmark network.  I will be in the Los Angeles area for about a week, and have an opportunity to be at a filming of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno as well.

These terrific events are incredible for the Women’s Automotive Connection.  However, I would be very remiss if I did not acknowledge the vast number of folks in my network who have supported and encouraged me as we have grown.

My clients have always been the best testimonials of why you do not have to spend all of your money buying, servicing or repairing a car.  Each and everyone of the has been a joy to work with.  They, in their own way, have taught me so many new lessons and for that I am so grateful.

To list all of those that I am grateful to would take a book, but there are several that deserve mention.  First of all my BFF’s Liza Kirby, Kelly Hogue, Kay Hendricks, Bonnie Dobbs, and Gina Jones are the cornerstone of what keeps me both grounded and positive.  John Miller, my coach, is such a wealth of knowledge of wisdom, and has never failed to share it with me.  For those who have not been named, you know I value your friendship and support, and thank you from the bottom of my heart.

No one rises alone, and faith will always get you further than anything I know of.  I am posting this today to make sure that everyone knows I will be taking all of you along on this journey.  Certainly I will have more fun actually being there than you will hearing about it.

On the Marie! show we will be covering tires, dash lights, brakes, and fluids.  This will be a chance to educate our audience on what they need to watch for and how to keep their vehicles in top running condition.  Another great friend of mine, my 2006 MINI Cooper S convertible, will be joining me on the show.

We have put together a pilot for a TV show that we are marketing in the hopes of making more of this information available to a larger audience.  I have always found that the tidbits offered may often seem trivial, but are  immensely important, and people comment that “if I had only known that”.

So thanks to you all.  Wish me luck and I will report on the air date and the events of the trip when I return.

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Every day we’re faced with an onslaught of tough decisions. How do I ask by boss for more money? Does the shirt go with the shoes? Where did I put my car keys? Luckily, how upgrading your four-wheeled steed with sizzling style and high-flying power isn’t one of those decisions. With a few simple additions you can boost your ride’s appearance and horsepower to new heights. Let’s start under the hood of your ride with a quick and easy upgrade that delivers a big boost in horsepower and torque: an air filter. Adding an aftermarket air filter to your ride delivers an instant surge of power-producing oxygen to your engine. Available in either custom fit or universal, air filters are hands down the easiest way to get those ponies galloping and your heart racing.

With the beast beneath the hood taken care of, it’s time give your stock lighting a boost. The right set of automotive lights takes the weak system the factory gave you and adds a dash of sultry style and out-of-this-world brightness. Driving lights come in a vast array of sizes and shapes designed increase both your vision and style of your ride. So, whether you’re looking to soup up your weekender with a set of flashy LED taillights or transform your daily-driver’s headlight array into a brilliant blue display, aftermarket driving lights are the way to go.

Next up, it’s time to dress your front end with a smoking hot car bra. With a supple layer of fabric, these beauties highlight your assets up front like nothing else on the road. And, since it’s the first thing people see as you pull up, car bras are custom tailored for a perfect fit. Plus, they block bugs and rocks from hitting your paint allowing your ride to maintain its perky appearance. Available in an astounding assortment of patterns and styles, car bras augment your front end in truly customized fashion.

Another simple and stylish addition for all you truck fanatics out there is a tonneau cover. Tonneau covers are engineered to create an impenetrable wall between the inside of your truck bed and Mother Nature’s nastiest. So, all your gear stays fresh no matter what she’s kicking up outside. Best yet, from the robust protection of hard folding tonneau covers to quick and easy access of a soft tonneau, truck bed covers come in a nearly endless array of options suited for your specific needs.

No matter what you drive, a custom set of car seat covers is the perfect way to enhance the elegance of your interior. From a set of sophisticated leather covers to a set stamped with the flavor of the Hawaiian islands, seat covers offer endless customization options. Available in either custom-cut matched to your exact vehicle or in budget-friendly semi-custom, the seat cover to match your exact needs is just waiting for you.

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Have you heard that joke about women drivers? Your first reaction is probably, “Which one?” Women often get a bum rap when it comes to automotive issues. So after spending much of her career in the auto industry, watching women being taken advantage of by mechanics and car salespeople, Gail Dunn decided to take matters into her own hands.

At the age of 62, with 15 years of experience working around cars, Dunn set out to educate drivers, one oil change at a time, through the Women’s Automotive Connection. A former business consultant, experienced estimator and longtime manager of a body shop, Dunn had built a reputation for herself in the industry as a no-nonsense advocate for her customers’ needs — traits she now relies on as her own boss.

Founded in 2007, Atlanta-based Women’s Automotive Connection provides automotive advice, assistance and service to those without the time or expertise to address problems related to the maintenance and repair of their vehicles. But Dunn’s greater mission revolves around her greatest passion — to teach car owners about the games some of the dishonest people in the automotive industry play in an effort to “relieve” car owners of their money, and to build a fleet of astute, competent customers. And the boys are starting to notice too.

What was your career background prior to starting the Women’s Automotive Connection?

I was a consultant in organizational development. I basically fixed broken companies. But I got to a point where I was working 80 hours per week and didn’t want to do that anymore.

What led you to decide to start your own business, post retirement?

I knew I would get bored, because I had retired once before and that’s exactly what happened. And I realized I didn’t want to work for somebody else anymore. The easiest thing was to be on my own, and it sounded great to be able to make my own schedule and my own decisions.

One of the major goals of the Women’s Automotive Connection is to help women feel more comfortable and knowledgeable about the auto-repair process. What are some of the negative repair experiences you encountered personally – and that you saw other women encounter — prior to starting the company?

My own short story is that I had a ‘96 Jeep Grand Cherokee that wouldn’t start. At the time, I was managing a body shop at a dealership. I looked at it and knew exactly what it needed. I went in on a Monday morning and told them I needed a fuel pump put in a Jeep and just left the car there. Later, someone brought my car over, and I asked what I owed them. They told me I didn’t need what I said I needed and charged me for a completely different repair. Obviously, two days later, it once again wouldn’t start. So, I bought my own fuel pump and had one of the guys at my body shop put it in.

It made me angry, because they thought they knew more than I did. A lot of shops do this: They put a band-aid on a problem instead of fixing it. I think a lot of people — both women and men — have similar experiences with car repairs. A lot of my clients have had experiences like mine where the shop tells them they need more than they think they do, and it becomes too much of a guessing game. And then they’ll just agree to it, even if it’s not the repair they need.

And what is the overarching mission of the Women’s Automotive Connection?

Primarily we’re here to assist people in buying, selling and repairing vehicles. But we want to educate. We do automotive boot camps. And I have a weekly podcast called “Garage Gab.” I educate women and the public on the games people play when they try to, as I call it, “relieve you of your money.” And I don’t mind spending money if it’s necessary, but if someone is ripping me off, I’m going to get upset.

I have a lot of fun at the boot camps, and think it’s amazing the questions people ask. There are a lot of basic things people don’t know about vehicles. Once they learn them, they are capable and competent and able to deal with the automotive industry without being taken advantage of.

I think the whole country realizes there is a lot of game-playing going on in the auto industry, whether related to buying or repairing. The honest brokers get upset because the whole industry gets a bad name thanks to those who are dishonest. I want to educate people about the process, but also find honest repair shops I can refer my clients to so they know it will be done right the first time and that someone will take responsibility for the work they do.

And which types of services do you offer your customers?

It varies. I offer consultations to clients over the phone to help them get to the right shop. I also do some brokering to connect people to the right car for them. As mentioned, I also offer educational automotive boot camps and do the weekly car repair podcast.

Everything I do is about giving people the education they need to find honest mechanical shops and brokers. In terms of figuring out who is honest, I have my ways. One of the things I will tell people who call from other cities for help with choosing a shop is to go to that shop, get an oil change and sit in the waiting room to see how customers are treated. I think people are afraid to challenge a mechanic or technician. They automatically think the mechanic knows more than they know. But customers who educate themselves often know as much as any mechanic.

Have you found that a lot of your customers come in with similar issues? What are some of the most common ones?

The biggest issue on new cars that really bothers people is the “check engine” light. That light has nothing to do with your engine and everything to do with your emissions. People see that light on the dash and panic. Then they go to a mechanic and pay a lot of money for something they probably didn’t need. The light might just mean something simple — like they didn’t tighten their gas cap.

Have you attracted male customers too?

A lot of men come to me. I’ve been involved in the Chamber of Commerce for a while now and know a lot of the men there who have become customers. They realize they don’t know a lot about modern cars either. Cars today are basically rolling computers. It’s funny in a way, because the men who come to me as customers would rather ask me for help than admit to another man that they don’t know the answer. I’ve been able to get so many male customers because the ones I help become big fans of mine and then tell their other friends.

I would say the ratio of male to female clients is probably 50/50. That’s not what I intended, but it’s what ended up happening. Actually, I’ve learned that guys get treated the same way women get treated when they go in for repairs or to buy cars.

Have you discovered specific entrepreneurial challenges related to starting a business after age 60 that younger entrepreneurs might not face?

It’s hard to say, because I didn’t start a business when I was younger. But I find that my age has actually been a help to me. At my age, people look at me and understand I have experience. I don’t know that someone much younger starting a business like this would have the same credibility. Sometimes this gray hair I have is a sign of experience and maybe a little wisdom. And that works in my favor.

In general, I don’t think there have been any real challenges that I couldn’t overcome. My biggest challenge was getting people to understand what I did. But the uniqueness of it has given me some extra visibility that the rest of the world doesn’t have.

When people get older, their focus changes from “I want everything” to “I want to see how I can help other people.” A lot of people I know who are running businesses over 50 or 60 really are there to try to help other people.

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When you are in the market for an automobile, new or used, think about what Tony has said. We can save you some money. If you are on your on, make sure you do some good research before you approach a seller.

I have known Gail for several years and recently enlisted her services to purchase a 2012 Highlander for my wife. Gail made the whole car buying experience easier than shopping for groceries! I am a CPA, from the northeast, my education and a work experience demands I exercise skepticism and always protect myself from someone or something from trying to “relieve” me of my assets. As you can imagine buying a car would tests these skills and have me on red alert.

After receiving the dealer’s absolutely lowest price on my own, I called Gail. Within 20 minutes, Gail saved me almost $3,000 net of her modest fee. That savings was over 8% off of the dealer’s “best” out the door prices, not off the MSRP! I bought exactly what I wanted – in fact it was exactly the same car that the dealer quoted me. But this is only half the story.

Gail also led me through the whole buying process – you know when you have to meet with the dealer’s business manager who tries to sell you additional warranties and protection. The business manager knew I was Gail’s client and therefore knew what my answers were going to be. And get this, the dealer and the business manager loves her! My wife and I were treated like long-time customers by the dealer, were treated courteously (remember this was the same car that they could have sold me without Gail….you would think they wouldn’t be happy to see me) and provided the same respect and attention as if we had paid list price.

As I told Gail, I will tell you, I would not buy a new or used car without Gail’s Women’s Automotive Connection (you hear that guys?!). I don’t care how skilled you are or who you know. When you are spending thousands on a car (or anything), it should feel good long after the new car smell has dissipated. I have owned over 20 new cars since 1983, nothing came close to the buying experience that comes with engaging Gail. As I told Gail…she will be helping me but a Vette in a few years (now that my wife has the car that she wants!).

Happy Car Buying!

Tony L.
Alpharetta, GA

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I have had many clients lately looking for good used cars in the $6000-$8000 range and are completely surprised about what we find.  First, the Cash for Clunkers had an adverse affect on the used car market, clearing some great, affordable cars out of the pipeline.  That had the effect of making the most wanted used vehicles more expensive, even to wholesalers at auction.  With the gas prices going up all the time, the smaller, more efficient cars are what people are looking for, but they have no idea what the prices really are.  If you want to spend $6000, you are generally going to find a 10-12 year old car with over 150,000 miles on it, and getting toward the end of its life.  I have had the good fortune of working with Jewish Family Services in Atlanta to find cars for people as well, but their budgets are even smaller.  Here is what my typical client is looking for.  A 2004-2005 Honda Accord or Toyota Camry with less than 75,000 miles, one-owner, clean CarFax, and in good mechanical condition.  That is fine with me, but you have to be ready to pay for the most popular cars in the market today.  A car to fit this bill will cost $10,000-$12,000.  Surprised.  I am sure you are, but those of us in the business have watched this happen over the last three years and are not at all surprised.  Used cars in the past were not sought after the way they are now.  People were willing and able to buy new, but the combination of economy, government interference, gas prices, and unemployment are making these cars the most desired.  Ask anyone in the sales arena and you will find that they hardly get their hands on cars like this, and if they do, they are gone the next day.  So, if you are looking to replace your car or buy a car for one of your kids, think long and hard about what your budget is.  Buying something cheap will probably cost you more money in the long run.

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On November 17, 2010, we filmed a show for Motorweek.  We have been advised that it should run in early January 2011, and I will keep you up to date.

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Stephanie Meeks, owner of The Collision Company in Roswell, GA, will join me tomorrow on Garage Gab at 9am on 89.1FM, WBCX, The Voice of Brenau.  We will be talking about the repair process and how your choice of shops is the biggest help in getting you through this trauma.  Knowing your rights and the laws governing repairs is key to getting the job done right.  Here are some of the things you should know:

Ø In Georgia, the law is clear. The choice of repair facilities after a collision is yours. Regardless of what the insurance company may say, it is your vehicle and you decide who repairs it. The insurance company does not warranty the work, the shop does, so make sure your choice is a good one.

Ø ALWAYS get an accident report. No matter whether it is on private or public property, or even if the other person asks you not to. You only have this once chance to protect your rights.

Ø Diminished value is a ruling of the Supreme Court in Georgia. The insurance company pays it because your car was wrecked, not based on how it was repaired. As a general rule, this should be 15% of the total repair bill on any vehicles with less than 100,000 miles on them.

Don’t let the insurance company, the party who hit you, or anyone else take charge of your repair.  Take it where you know your interests will be protected, the warranty is good, and the technicians working on your vehicle are certified.

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