24 Heures du Mans (24 Hours of Le Mans)

The greatest auto race in the world starts tomorrow, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's our favorite because since 1923, people have been racing whatever they could bring for a whole day without stopping. There have been cars taken straight off showroom floors: Porsches, Corvettes, Aston Martins, Jaguars, Ferraris, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Lotuses, Cobras. And then there are the prototypes--the no holds barred version of racing that exists nowhere else. These are the fastest vehicles on the planet with bleeding edge technology that defines where automobiles will be decades in the future. Or not. Some of the ideas are downright weird and fail miserably. Racing doesn't get any better.

Join us for live coverage at: http://en.lemanslive.com/
http://www.24h-lemans.com/live/en/

Start: Saturday, June 13, 2015, 3:00 PM in Europe, 6:00 AM in San Francisco

24 Hours of Le Mans!

It's that time of year again, the oldest and greatest auto race in the world celebrates its 90th anniversary this weekend in Le Mans, France (June 23-24, 2013.) The race is fast and torturous. It is where the world's premier auto makers--Aston Martin, Audi, Chevrolet (Corvette), Chrysler (SRT Viper), Ferrari, Honda, Lotus, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Toyota--come to show not only that they have the fastest, best handling, most advanced cars but in order to win, they must also be reliable and economical.

The race attracts top drivers including celebrity Patrick Dempsey who in past years has been a LeMans class leader. Audi once again captured the pole in 2013. Toyota was third fastest in qualifying with a hybrid prototype.

Unlike most races, these vehicles must run all-out for 24 hours straight without breaking down and with as few stops as possible. At 2013 speeds we can expect the leaders to travel more than 3000 miles (5000 km)

NASCAR, Formula 1 and Indycar feature straights that can be a thousand feet long. LeMans features a straightaway that is 4 miles (6 km) long followed by a series of curves, hairpin turns and shorter straights.

It is our favorite race at Almost Everything because the cars look like real cars and the technology is often a few years away from making the cars we drive everyday safer, more fun and better performing.

Lotus Elise Squashed Like a Bug

Almost Everything's Wreck of the Day is a diminutive 2005 Lotus Elise that got even smaller when a Ford Five Hundred drove on top of it. WreckedExotics.com reports that an old woman making a left hand turn just drove right up and over the Lotus--you can see the tire tracks up the hood and over the windshield!

Vote for Almost Everything Autobody in ABC-7 San Francisco A-List

Please click the "Vote" button then select us for Best Bodyshop in the San Francisco Bay Area!

Last year Almost Everything Autobody came in 2nd in the ABC-7 A-List competition (out of the 2500 bodyshops within 25 miles of us!) So this year we upped our game:

1. Quality—we converted to the best technology 2-stage & 3-stage paints available. We stand behind them with a lifetime warranty.
2. Satisfaction—Survey scores improved & the BBB rates us 'A'!
3. Price—Customers consistently tell us that our prices are lowest.
4. Environment—we went green, converting to the lowest VOC paint systems available and minimizing our hazardous wastes.
5. Service—we provide free shuttle service within 5 miles and to BART.

Lotus Esprit S4 painted at Almost Everything Autobody

Dodge Viper bodywork by Almost Everything Autobody

Dodge Viper bodywork by Almost Everything Autobody

1964 Ford Thunderbird restored at Almost Everything Autobody

1964 Ford Thunderbird restored at Almost Everything Autobody

1964 Ford Thunderbird restored at Almost Everything Autobody

Mercedes Benz CL55 AMG repaired at Almost Everything Autobody

Of course, most of the cars we repair are like the cars we actually drive. . . Hondas, Fords, Toyotas and Chevys. But we really enjoy getting to see and work on so many exotic and classic cars at the shop.

Oops! Lotus Elise Epic Fail

Surprising for a car with some of the best braking stats on the planet. Not sure how this Lotus Elise managed to find its way under the tail of this taxi cab. Maybe the cab was backing up. . . quickly.

Thanks to Jalopnik for this and many more great articles.

Motor Trend--World's Greatest Drag Race

This one "goes to 11"

Join Almost Everything at Laguna Seca Sept. 17-18, 2011!

Friends, join Almost Everything Sept. 17-18, 2011 to see Almost Everything Autobody's Goodyear Formula Car Challenge leading Mazda driven by Lloyd Read. We will be racing next during the American LeMans weekend at Laguna Seca.

If you see one race in California per year, this is the one to see! The LeMans race features the fastest cars in the world mixed with lesser Porsches, BMWs, Ferraris, Corvettes, Aston Martins, Lamborghinis and Lotuses.

The Goodyear/Star Mazda race features the drivers that will be racing in LeMans, Indy and/or Formula One in the next year or two (like our Lloyd Read!)

Lloyd Read & Almost Everything Pro Formula Mazda

Dates: Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 17-18, 2011

Times: Events all day both days
Saturday 1:30 - 7:30 PM American LeMans Race
Sunday 10:40 - 11:25 AM Goodyear Star Mazda Race

Place: Mazda Raceway, Laguna Seca, California

Lloyd Read (center) on Winner's Podium

More info:
http://www.americanlemans.com/primary1.php?cat=schedule|event
http://www.formulacarchallenge.com/index.htm
http://www.starmazda.com/

Camry Crashes into Lotus Dealership

In a case of "Whoops, wrong pedal" WreckedExotics.com reports a 92 year old drove her car into a dealership and into the side of a Lotus Exige ($78,000 USD.)

1994 Lotus Esprit S4

Lotus Esprit inside Almost Everything Autobody

Almost Everything's Car of the Day is is a 1994 Lotus Esprit S4 "commuter car" according to the gentleman that owns it. He drives between the San Francisco Bay area and Las Vegas on a regular basis. He brought the car to Almost Everything Autobody on a rainy day so it is difficult to see from the pictures how the car was sand-blasted from the high-speed runs across the desert. We did a complete paint job on the car and it looked (and sounded) like a million bucks when complete.

Lotus Esprit S4 before paint at Almost Everything Autobody

Lotus Esprit S4 with rock chips at Almost Everything Autobody

Lotus Esprit S4 after complete paint job at Almost Everything Autobody

Lotus Esprit S4 with overall paint job from Almost Everything Autobody

Lotus Esprit S4 with new paint job from Almost Everything Autobody

Lotus Esprit S4 after being painted by Almost Everything Autobody

Vote Best Bodyshop—CityVoter.com

Click CityVoter.com then click the "Vote" button!

Last year we won Best of Fremont. But we only got into the top 1% in the BayList competition (19th out of the 2519 bodyshops within 25 miles of us—76 shops were nominated for the award). So this year we upped our game:

1. Quality—last year we converted to the best technology 2-stage & 3-stage paints available. We stand behind them with a lifetime warranty.
2. Satisfaction—Survey scores improved from Good to Great & the BBB rates us 'A'!
3. Price—Customers & Almost Everything surveys consistently show that our prices are lowest.
4. Growth—business up 23%—we repaired 1000+ vehicles & hired 3 new employees—during recession
5. Environment—we went green, converting to the lowest VOC paint systems available

Lotus Esprit S4 painted at Almost Everything

Dodge Viper bodywork by Almost Everything

Dodge Viper bodywork by Almost Everything

1964 Ford Thunderbird restored at Almost Everything

1964 Ford Thunderbird restored at Almost Everything

1964 Ford Thunderbird restored at Almost Everything

Mercedes Benz CL55 AMG repaired at Almost Everything

Of course, most of the cars we repair are like the cars we actually drive. . . Hondas, Fords, Toyotas and Chevys. But we really enjoy getting to see and work on so many exotic and classic cars at the shop.

Car of the Day - 1994 Lotus Esprit S4 - Car Paint

One of my favorite cars in world came in the shop this week for some minor repairs and an overall paint job. IMHO this is the most beautiful version of the Lotus Esprit. It's a 1994 S4, one of the last Esprits with the turbocharged 4 cylinder (it doesn't sound or drive like a 4!) I wish we'd taken some pictures of it while the spoiler was still off. It looked so clean that way. I've been salivating over it all week. Many of the guys in the shop didn't even know what it was. Check-out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Esprit for details on this supercar that would still look modern if produced today--the design dates to the early 1970s!