Anchorage Automotive

For more than 85 years, the ASE-certified parts specialists at NAPA Auto Parts have recommended and supplied quality parts from their network of stores that has grown from one parts shop to 6,100 locations nationwide. The National Automotive Parts Association organizes its more than 400,000 tools, replacement parts, and accessories in a unique and intuitive inventory-control system that tracks down customer selections quicker than the Dewey Decimal System equipped with a fast-forward button. To skip the shipping, the online inventory system also lets customers reserve their parts for in-store pickup for immediate gratification and diminished wait times. Proud sponsor of Martin Truex Jr.'s #56 car, NAPA Auto Parts meets the automotive needs of drivers both professional and recreational.

The professional staff at Car Toyz overhauls vehicular cosmetics with a portfolio of tinting, remote starting, and multimedia upgrades. Window-tinting services carry a lifetime warranty for the carefully applied films, designed to diffuse annoying glares and slowly reveal secret identities to drive-thru workers. As the sun sets, high-intensity headlights illuminate obstructions in ample time and heated seats help make waiting for the hot air less unpleasant. Remote starters conjure visions of the future as they set pistons pumping from up to one mile away, and mobile video installations let toddlers catch the morning milk prices during the preschool commute.

The family owners and technicians of 907 Detail & Auto Accessories treat each car that rolls up their sudsy driveway as if it were their own. This level of dedication is reflected quite literally in the glint of vehicles that emerge from detailing services with freshly cleaned windows, shimmering exteriors, and rearview mirrors free of vexatious blind spots. The committed technicians pride themselves on the fact that most of their business comes from loyal customers and referrals, many of whom come not just for washes and waxes but for custom tints and aftermarket products available by request for purchase and installation. Cars aren’t the only vehicles lucky enough to get in on the action; the company’s services also extend to motorcycles, semi trucks, trailers, and boats.

Behind a quaint, log-cabin-style exterior waits a crew of auto detailers, armed and ready to hand wash dirty vehicles small or large. This crew keeps Strictly by Hand Auto Detailing humming like a fine-tuned synthesizer by waxing, vacuuming, and completely detailing any ride that stops in for a cleanup. When not plotting the destruction of the grime that lives in the doorjambs of jalopies, they steam-clean engines, scrub headliners, remove tar and pet hair, and tend to the flowers hanging outside their shop.

Ace Automotive's pea-green paint job guarantees customers will notice the shop as they cruise down the road, just as the ASE-certified technicians working inside guarantee a job well done each and every time. Inside, the crew handles all automotive needs, from changing, rotating, and repairing tires to draining sludgy oil from the engine and uncovering potential problems with computer diagnostics. They also roll out of the garage with tools in tow to deliver low-cost roadside repairs or motivational speeches for new drivers afraid to switch lanes. Ace Automotive keeps customers happy with guarantees on all of its repair and maintenance services.

Most automobiles are built on an assembly line alongside thousands of identical automobiles. Some accept this fate, but others fight it by searching for unique gadgets, parts, and accessories at shops such as Distinctive Ride. Here, technicians install all kinds of aftermarket products—AstroStart and Encore remote starters, high-intensity discharge lights, and an array of car audio devices, including subwoofers and speakers. They coat windows in tinted film and are certified to install Parrot hands-free devices that give feet a chance to dial the phone for once.