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.

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.

John Schwartz, the owner of Perfectionist Auto Sound & Security, is running out of shelf space for all of his awards. With accolades such as one of Mobile Electronics Retailer of the Year award recipients, 2010-2011 Retailer of the Year award, and Best Car Customizer, the shop and its staff have perfected the art of whipping whips into stylish shape. Perfectionist’s services run the gamut from remote car-starter and audio-system installation to custom fabrications and lighting. An online gallery shows off some of the technicians’ best work.

The experienced technicians at NorthStart augment cars’ factory settings with meticulously installed upgrades backed by the shop’s lifetime guarantee. In addition to tantalizing aural and visual senses by implanting cars with high-fidelity audio and video, technicians also install driving lights, satellite navigation systems, and passenger-side ejector seats. Autostart remote starters rev engines, unlock doors, pop trunks, and manage internal temperatures while car owners dawdle within a 1,200-foot range. In addition to traditional keychain remotes, starters can also enlist the help of Androids, iPhones, BlackBerrys, and WiFi-enabled toaster ovens via optional SmartStart technology.

Spearheaded by a team of local automotive aficionados, CCA Motorsport safeguards vehicles throughout Alaska with an array of protective and detailing services. A clear, robust urethane film can shield paint from debris that flies up from the asphalt or over from roadside boomerang stands, and window tinting reduces glare by deflecting UV rays. Techs also draw on years of experience and professional training to gussy up buggies with hand washes, sealants, and other meticulous detailing services.

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.