Changing the name could be dangerous from a business point of view. Customers who know and like your service could come looking a few years down the road and not find you. If you want to emphasize the Rod and Custom angle, you could add a side or back door with a different sign. Advertise it separately, maybe even have a separate phone line or email address. Then the bread-and-****er customers wouldn't be scared away by a ruffian outlaw image and us wild and craze hotrodders could come sneaking in the back door and be happy too.
How about: Custom Auto Gl*** See through Gl*** Perfect Auto Gl*** Vintage Auto Gl*** Windows for Rods Don't Break Gl*** (Think about it)
Why not just make it Tri-Valley Vintage Auto Gl***. The people who know you by The current name will still find you easily, the insurance pencil pushers won't have a brain fart and the guys looking for someone who specializes in vintage or hotrod gl*** will pick up on it. I hate to see companies do drastic name changes when they decide to upgrade their outfit or change hands because quite often people can't seem to find them anymore. For years while holding various jobs I did business daily with a wholesale hardware outfit called Yakima Hardware. I and others knew that they sold hardware items and that was who we called. Now they changed their name to Horizon Distributors and who the hell knows what that is without looking it up. Same outfit, same people and same stuff but a name that doesn't reflect that. I vote for keeping it as close to the original name as possible. Matt Franklin's idea of adding a second name and keeping the original is a good one. I know of at least one auto parts warehouse that does just that with a different name to advertise their retail performance parts in the magazines with.
why change your name? if you do good work at a good price and have a good reputation your business name shouldn't matter.. your satisfied customers will say good things about you and more people will call you i have no business name and no business card
I'd just change the logo, writing the initials like the cl*** identifier for drag racing or LSR cars. TV / / AG Perhaps some of our art-oriented types could run with that. (Sorry, I can't get the slash to line up.)
Hey Tony, I'm with a couple of the others about not changing the name, but add a little to it. I'm not very good at drawing nor printing, but I tried a little sketch to give you an idea. I think it would be cool. A logo, a pic of a custom or rod in the middle...and let 'em know you spe******e in rods and customs. Here's a pic....
all auto anytime gl*** = AAA GL*** YOUR custom OUR speicialty custom cuts I,.C. KLEARLY AUTOMOTIVE GL*** CUTTING EDGE GL*** SONNY'S GL*** NO PANE TO MUCH $
WindWing Gl*** Trinity Gl*** Crystal Pane Gl*** Whiz Key Gl*** 3G's Gl*** Oops Gl*** Whathappen Gl*** Weather***e Gl*** CremePuff Gl*** Perfect Gl*** Company 3 Kat Gl*** Jalopy Gl*** Guys NotaPane Gl*** Service Cruzin' Gl*** Trace Gl*** Co.
I like the current name, sounds like it has been around for a while. The gl*** place in our town is Port City Gl***. I wouldn't go anywhere else. How long has the business had that name?