Shout out to the good guys

[Matt Bacon]

As a counterpoint to the “couldn’t make it up thread” I just wanted to call out a couple of examples of folks who know what they’re doing…

We’ve got a FIAT Panda 4x4… pretty much the only small 4x4 there is. Local shop with a shed full of AMGs and high-end Audi’s were happy to go to work on it. Long story short, the rear diff was shot, and that model only ran 3 years from 2012-2015. They looked all over Europe for a replacement without finding anything less than $1500. After a couple of weeks they sourced all the internals and rebuilt the old one completely from the ground up. Cheaper, better and guaranteed by them.

Secondly, today… main dealer said I needed new tyres on the front end of my Skoda at the annual MoT test last week. Don’t like paying main dealer prices for tyres so bought and booked in replacements at my local tyre specialist. Took the car in today and they put it on the ramp. “Why are you changing these?” says the guy. “There’s a few thousand miles in them yet.” So he refunded me the money I’d paid, and I’ll go back in the autumn some time. He could have just changed them and taken my money, like the main dealer wanted to, but he didn’t…

best,

M.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Yup, there are some good ones out there, but they're a tiny minority.

I've been closely associated with the car repair/modification/restoration industry for over 50 years, and I can count the really good, competent, honest, and intelligent practitioners I've known on one hand.

And that doesn't mean they all know everything about everything.

What it does mean is that they know enough to know when it's time to do some in-depth research, get out the factory manuals, possibly learn something new, or admit that the necessary work isn't within their sphere of expertise or ability.

[Matt Bacon]

You'd never know it to look at their shed or the scrapyard next door, but my new go-to guys are clearly well-trained petrolheads in their early 30s who did a good apprenticeship and took it seriously. There's a Corrado out back being fixed up, which is pretty rare groove. They know all the local specialists for things like full gearbox rebuilds, and who might have obscure parts, and there are a LOT of bits in that breaker's yard. I doubt that AMG G-Wagens are that common in main dealers, and they've had two different ones in the last couple of times I've visited (I notice these things...). Plus, very few people know enough to get excited about the little FIAT's funky 900cc TwinAir engine, but they did...

best,

M.

[Ace-Garageguy]

The other thing that sets really good mechanics apart from all the rest is that they understand the basics, and know everything that rolls with an IC engine works pretty much the same way, and they aren't intimidated by antique or newfangled variations on the original theme.

The first mechanic I apprenticed under had worked on model T Fords when they were new, and he imparted that particular piece of wisdom to me.

Sounds like your guys learned the same mindset.