The summer sport compact market has new kits for new faces

3dCarbon performed wind- tunnel testing and computational fluid dynamic testing to make sure its Prius kit wouldn’t slow the vehicle down with any added accessories.

Welcome to Coast 2 Coast, where Restyling questions restylers from the East to West and from the North to South.

For this issue, we focus on graphics installation, inquiring about the hottest and most common graphics and vehicles, and what the market seems to bear nowadays and into the near future. 

We also ask for some insider tips, tricks or techniques that make our pros’ shops better-run, better-equipped, better to handle today’s business climate — and we came away with great suggestions not only for application methods but sales tools, as well.

We begin, though, by coasting into a question about this season and the vehicles to look for:

Are you diversified? During this economic downturn, many businesses continue looking for ways to increase the number of revenue streams, and diversification has become a buzzword. Many view it as a shrewd option and others as nothing more than an additional headache.

The models are shapely, their makeup impeccable. They’re dressed in their best outfits, fit perfectly to their forms. And their designers have created the haute couture of the automotive industry, transforming everyday figures into strutting, sweet works of art. And many of these sweet things are as powerful and fast as they are gorgeous and stunning.

Project cars. Maybe a better term is “progress cars” or “evolutionary vehicles,” for though they’re working projects, what the design teams have created are unique vehicles, some of which will become limited editions produced for particularly avid auto aficionados, or developed into restyling kits that will give a wider consumer base the options to outfit their own ordinary vehicles that dress to impress.

This is Restyling magazine’s 11th awards recognition competition, and if it demonstrates anything, it’s the combined creativity, product salability and expertise of today’s restylers.

The number of entries surpassed last year’s —  in all, 44 submissions came via e-mail or ground delivery (we actually had several more, but they either lacked a description of the work performed or exceeded the limit of allowable entries per category). But even more so, those who entered the vehicle projects they considered as exemplary of the work they do for their varied clientele base demonstrated a quality and artisanship that serve together as a hallmark of the most professional aspects of our restyling industry.

Five judges carefully considered each entry:

No matter what challenges the world throws at businesses, be it a new competitor on the Internet or an international economic meltdown, one time-tested solution has remained consistent: good customer service. However, it is also important to make use of new tools that improve that service. Automotive Essentials, owned and operated by Doug and Karla Perez in Rockville, Md., provides us with examples of just how true this is.

Doug and Karla Perez both had experience in the Restyling industry before starting Automotive Essentials. They both worked for another restyling business, with Doug in sales and Karla answering phones and taking orders.

Eventually, the couple decided the next step forward for them was to start their own business. Doug Perez dialed up an acquaintance he made while working on cars as a teenager, and together they arranged for a location to house the new business.

Diana Braschler receives 2008 Restyler of the Year award from Karl Stearns of Auto Trim International, the PRO award sponsor. Photo courtesy of SEMA.

Just recently Restyling magazine had a conversation with restyler Diana Braschler, SEMA’s 2008 PRO Restyler of the Year. She and husband Rick Braschler own and operate Dealer Source Ltd. in San Antonio, Texas.

There’s no question that the lifestyles of those who live in the city differ from those who live in the country. Gridlock traffic isn’t a concern in small town, just as hitting a deer isn’t an issue in most cities. But, do these differences in daily experiences come into play for enthusiasts looking to accessorize their vehicle?