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.

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.

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

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.

I do not intend to say that an all or nothing approach is appropriate, but I do believe government is getting too involved in my every day life.  What I would like to see is for old fashioned manners and common sense come back into our society.  If this happened, people would think twice before engaging in dangerous behavior of any kind. They would think of the other folks on the road, and how it might also impact them.  A friend was recently in an accident where another car clipped him on the interstate going in excess of 100 mph.  Fortunately, even though his truck was totalled, he was not severely injured.  However, the other driver died.  What was he thinking?
When I advise people regarding safety in my Automotive Boot Camp, it generally concerns the mechanical operation of their vehicles. Having your tires and brakes in top notch condition is a recurring theme.   I do not generally get into the behavior of other people, as it is really none of my business.  But, the attitude of the driver is as much a part of being safe on the road as the mechanics.  Anger, rage, hunger, and thoughtlessness lead to putting the driver and many other people in harm’s way.  Most of the time, no one thinks of this when they get behind the wheel.   Maybe we should make it a check you do before you start the engine.

Believe me when I say, I know I talk on the phone while on the road.  Is it safe for me and others? No.    I think the attention being given this subject is good, and now I often find myself hitting the “ignore” button while on the road.   Then, when I do stop, I can retrieve the voice mail and return the call safely.   I was especially conscious of this recently while driving through the heart of Atlanta.  The phone rang, and I knew for a certainty that I did NOT need to answer it at that moment.

Maybe this piece will give you pause when you are driving.   Maybe you will think twice before getting into that conversation.   Honestly, I will probably not completely stop using my cell when I am in the car, but I can promise you that I will carefully consider where I am and what is going on before calling or answering.   After all, it is courteous.   And, when I learned to drive, courtesy was a huge part of what was taught.

Motorcyclists always say “ride safe” when they take off.   Maybe we should adopt “drive safe” for cars.   Human nature is such that each and every one of believe we are being safe, even when we are not.   Calling a spade a shovel, be honest with yourself when you are on the road.

I ask this question in parting. “Is it worth the risk?”