Now this is always a good way to get mucho respondo...
Warn us now about the service stations around town where you've gotten
less than outstainding service.  Where have you (and your car) been well
treated?

57 responses total.

I've recently had the worst auto service experience of my life with
Varsity Ford.  See item 4 for more details.

 Hey. ;-) Also see item 4.
Sorry. I just joined this conference and did a 'r n'
It gave me the first and last item. I didn't see this one until now.

Damn, not even an hour old and you boys come screw up my brand new conference!

Huh?  I just didn't want to enter a humungous response here.

As far as *good* service experiences, I have had good luck at the
Firestones and Goodyears in town.

Ah, yes, but how much did you pay?  Was it worth it for a fairly assured
good experience?

I think the prices they charged were fair.  For example, once you get
on their mailing list, Goodyear sends you coupons.  My wife just paid
$15 for an oil change at Goodyear.

It pays to shop around a little, too.  I just had struts, a tie rod
and the belts replaced on my Taurus.  Goodyear wanted about $700 for
everything.  Firestone charged less than $600.

For any of you around this part of town or east ...
Vinsetta Garage, north of 14 mile on Woodward.  Been treated the BEST ever,
had the most reasonable explanations of my car troubles, the cheapest &
best service of my car ever.  If you ever have the chance to get your car
serviced there, be sure to talk to Jack or Melanie (co-owners) and tell'em
I sent you.

This response has been erased.

<argh>... The easiest way to get any repair job done inexpensively and 
quickly is to display some level of knowledge about the repairs. Most mech-
anics know that the average person who brings something into their garage
knows next to nothing about what needs to be repaired or replaced or how
to go about doing it, and therefore *some* mechanics will charge for things
that were never wrong in the first place, and most will charge higher than
the actual fee they are entitled to. Activley displaying this knowledge
not only may scare off any potential attempts to rip you off, but it can
also *lower* fees out of respect, as compared ot the guy-off-the-street.

Of course, they always know that you came to them because for some reason 
you can't actuallly do the work yourself and need it done soon.  You may
know your way around the car, but it's the dead of winter and you've got
no sheltered place to work on it.  Or it's just too big of a job (like my
old head gasket job story).  Really I don't think many mechs out there
seriously try to inflate prices, but they do know what their services are
worth to the suddenly car-less, and charge accordingly.

Well, I've known a few monk friends of mine who have charged for little 
things that didn't really need to be done... like replacing parts that
could just as easily be repaired...

   For tires, I've used Discount Tires for years and years now.  They've
always, and I mean always been fast, inexpensive and helpful.  A few weeks
ago I got a flat.  They sell their tire insurance for something like $4 a
tire, so I limped over there.  They fixed the problem but found that a
different tire was badly worn; so badly that he didn't want me to ride
on it.  When I said that I didn't really want to get new tires instantly,
he found another used tire and stuck it on, free.  We just got another
four tires there last week.

K & N Auto was good at the repair work we asked them to do, the one
time we went there.  I'm learning about cars from a friend, so haven't
needed their services again.  But the next major thing I can't do, I'll
likely send on to them.

I've had equally good luck (and service) from Discout Tires.

One set of tires I got from Discount was bad.  Were suppose to have come
out of Dunlop molds, but were really lousy dynamically.  It was as though
the balance point was constantly changing relative to wheel rpm.  After
about 50,000 miles they started to delaminate and I replaced them with
another set from Discount.  BIG improvement!  (I am still loyal to them.)

I buy used tires from Discount (the big name places like Firestone and
Goodyear won't sell them) since they're good enough for my used truck.
I have had no problems with their service except that it can be a bit slow
when there's a crowd.

LOVE!

A friend of mine needs new muffler, pipe, and eventually converter.
One place in Ypsi estimated $150 for just the mufler and the pipe.

What's the best place to get it done well and cheap.  I think she would
not mind just buying the parts and pay for labor.

Being in the same situation, I did a bit of calling.  At S&G Auto Parts we
can get the parts for the Tercel (Everything behind the cat) for $106 + tax +
a few more dollars for gaskets if they are needed.  Ann Arbor Muffler on
Jackson with do it (parts and installation) for $134 (they are having a 15%
sale right now or it would be about $155).  I think we will be going to
Ann Arbor Muffler (unless I can somehow perform the miracle of actually finding
the warranty papers from Tuffy).

This sounds pretty reasonable, did you check Murray's prices for parts?
They say they can order pretty much everything, even if they don't have
it in stock.

Didn't check Murray's.  Our mechanic friend says that they are ok for regular
maintainance stuff like oil and filters, but not to use them for actual parts.

I would trust his judgement.  They know a lot what the general public does not.

Try A&L for these parts.  They'er the ones many of the muffler shops buy
from and they DO carry parts for foreign cars.

I've had fine experiences with Meineke before.  As for a catlytic convertor,
unless you need to go through AET testing, there's no such thing as a new
convertor.  Jodi's is broken internally right now, and I'm just going to
run a screw through the side to hold the guts down, just so they don't slide
to one end and constrict airflow.  Of course, you could be seriously 
concerened about emissions, but I guess I just wouldn't understand.>concerened
about emissions, but I guess I just wouldn't understand.

It would work with most cars, however, newer chryslers are reportedly
running everything with feedback from the air after the converter.

That means, if the converter is broke, your timimg and everything will be
screwed, which is the case with mine, it needs a new oxygen sensor.
(every 57,500 miles)

   So I've found out.  We'll have to put on a new catalytic sometime this year.

My Ford F100 pickup truck is in dire need of a front end alignment.
Does anyone have any experiences with local alignment shops?  Is there
a good, reliable, relatively inexpensive front end alignment to be had
in Ann Arbor?

I've had fairly good luck with Ann Arbor Muffler, on Jackson near
Stadium.  They may not be the outright cheapest, but they've been
around for 30-some years, and are generally honest and nice guys
to deal with.

You may want to give Sears a call.  Is FireStone  still around?

Check out the dealerships, they seem to have really good prices sometimes.
I don't know about the reliability though.

re #28: Sears was just indicted by the state of California.  In a
ridiculously high number of cases, Sears performed repairs that were
not needed, and overcharged customers for work done.  Of course, this
only pertains to stores in California, and the stores here might be
super.

We have a lifetime front alignment at Sears.  We have never had problems
with them.  The manager usually takes us out and shows us anything that
they find that needs repair when we take the car in for an alignment.

The lifetime alighment cost $45-50 for the Toyota and we had one for
our Nissan Van as well.  We can take the car in anytime we feel it needs
an alignment, and they recommend that it be done at least once every 6 months.

Before we bought the lifetime at Sears we took the Toy into the place on
Cross Street in Depot Town in Ypsi.  They were highly recommended to us by
our mechanic friend.  We were satisfied with them, but the Sears deal was
much better.

Well, a couple of calls revealed that Ann Arbor Muffler refuses to do
an alignment on my pickup because their equipment won't handle it.  The
other place they recommended (City Body in Ypsi) also refused to do
the work claiming it was "too dangerous".  They recommended that I take
the truck to a dealer (yuk).  So perhaps you people with little cars
can go where you choose for alignments, but for full size trucks it's
a little more difficult...

What? You drive one of those gravelpit pickups? ;-)

I'm trying to put a 1978 Chevy Impala back on the road.  It needs alot of
work, mostly little stuff--but the brakes need quite a bit of doctoring...
does anyone here know of a good mechanic who works on older cars out of
love?  I am, of course, willing to pay--the problem is that I've been
told by a mechanic that "it just isn't worth it" to put the work (and
money) into this car.  I don't trust someone with that attitude to do
a good job and I'm quite determined to put her on the road again--she's
practically a member of the family.

 It would depend on the whole system and that can run in to MONEY!!!
the question to ask is? Is the car worth a new brake job? will it last
2 years? 3 years? . For what some brake jobs can cost, you can get another
set of wheels that doesn't have quite so many problems.
  I was faced with a similar situation. I had a '63 buick skylark and
while everything was in good shape, I foolishly put a good muffler 
and new brakes on it, only to have the water pump go and rather than
pay a $600 dollar job, I junked the car. Had I had the sense I have today
I probably would have not bought the car in the first place.

Give Erik Kauppi a call, Misti.  He may give you a hand just for the fun of
it.  He was (is) a master mechanic in his previous life.

We've talked, Glenda--he said he's willing to give advice, but doesn't have
time to committ right now.  No, I need a professional who makes a living
through cars 'cause I have to get this car on the road soonest.  

(Yes, it's worth what it will cost)

Bill Monsey on Miller St (not too far from the courthouse) was referred to
a friend of mine as having honest estimates, not overcharging.  I can't
comment first hand though, but my friends' experience was good.

Mustafa, does he specialize ion older cars?

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