I had to get my tranny rebuilt, checked with guys at work and "Mike" was recommended as the guy with the most experience. Brought it in and had the work done. A couple weeks later I was talking to another guy and he told me he had to get his truck's transmission re-rebuilt after his mechanic screwed something up. I told him I went to "Mike" as he was highly recommended. Then this guy tells me "Mike doesn't get involved in the business much anymore"! But the tranny's been good for four years.
Junk service at junk shops
- Thread starter wcbcruzer
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Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Would you mind naming the shop? I'm in Bakersfield also and have had nothing but bad luck with everyone but Kern Transmission. Only place in town where I can honestly say the service is top notch and the owner is honest.
Hey how's it going! I got the brake fluid "flushed" at Brake Masters on Brundage. My uncle had problems with the Jaguar dealership in Pasadena (Rusnak). Then he brought it to the Jaguar dealership here in Bakersfield and the service was a little better. The mechanic at this one is really good but unfortunately he's not the one running the show. It's the crooks behind the service counter.
I've also had issue with Carrol's Tire. I'm pretty much going to stay away from all these types of places. Now if you want a GOOD shop, go to Tim Pearson's alignment shop on Chester (right next to Deja Vu), Bob's muffler, and recently i've had pretty good experience with King's muffler. I've also heard good stuff about All Transmission and Gil's Transmissions but I've never been there. I actually need to find a good tranny shop.
Would you mind naming the shop? I'm in Bakersfield also and have had nothing but bad luck with everyone but Kern Transmission. Only place in town where I can honestly say the service is top notch and the owner is honest.
Hey how's it going! I got the brake fluid "flushed" at Brake Masters on Brundage. My uncle had problems with the Jaguar dealership in Pasadena (Rusnak). Then he brought it to the Jaguar dealership here in Bakersfield and the service was a little better. The mechanic at this one is really good but unfortunately he's not the one running the show. It's the crooks behind the service counter.
I've also had issue with Carrol's Tire. I'm pretty much going to stay away from all these types of places. Now if you want a GOOD shop, go to Tim Pearson's alignment shop on Chester (right next to Deja Vu), Bob's muffler, and recently i've had pretty good experience with King's muffler. I've also heard good stuff about All Transmission and Gil's Transmissions but I've never been there. I actually need to find a good tranny shop.
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Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
I think the key for consistency is to find a smaller indy shop that does everything.
I used to do most of my own maintenance back in high school. I had a garage to use, and anything that I couldn't do there was handled by a local Ford dealer that my parents had been using for over 20 years. When I came to Charlotte, I was stuck with a parking lot to work in and a bunch of unfamiliar shops. I tried local Ford dealers, but it was very hit or miss with them. Eventually I found an excellent NAPA shop. Most of the time the owner is there and working on cars. The techs know my truck, and it is always the same people working there. The work they do is top notch. I have seen them pour oil right from individual bottles into my truck, and when I get it back the oil is always exactly at the full line on the dipstick. I haven't been anywhere else since finding this place.
Even better, prices at the NAPA shop are very good. They are cheaper than the dealer, and about on par with most of the chains like Firestone. You do have to make an appointment for just about anything if you are going to wait though...they have a lot of loyal customers and are always busy, but that's a good sign.
You hit the nail on the head. Even better is to find a shop where the owner IS the one and only tech (or has 1 or 2 employees).
Best advice I can give is to check your BBB online. You'd be amazed at the records of some businesses (BAD!). But you can find local shops that have been around a long time that are small and do great work (and have a perfect BBB report). I find it good when you call and it takes a week to get an appointment!
Agreed 100% sir!!!!!!!!
The guy my dad and I deal with now, and probably the only guy I'd ever trust to work on my vehicles owns a small shop in the middle of nowhere. He has no employees, but a decent sized customer base of LOYAL customers who depend on him to do nothing but the best work. PERIOD. He's an ex-GM electronics and diagnostics specialist who doesn't get along with other mechanics all that well because of his way of doing things. It's done right, or it's not done at all.
Finding guys like this is like finding a needle in a haystack though........
Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
I think the key for consistency is to find a smaller indy shop that does everything.
I used to do most of my own maintenance back in high school. I had a garage to use, and anything that I couldn't do there was handled by a local Ford dealer that my parents had been using for over 20 years. When I came to Charlotte, I was stuck with a parking lot to work in and a bunch of unfamiliar shops. I tried local Ford dealers, but it was very hit or miss with them. Eventually I found an excellent NAPA shop. Most of the time the owner is there and working on cars. The techs know my truck, and it is always the same people working there. The work they do is top notch. I have seen them pour oil right from individual bottles into my truck, and when I get it back the oil is always exactly at the full line on the dipstick. I haven't been anywhere else since finding this place.
Even better, prices at the NAPA shop are very good. They are cheaper than the dealer, and about on par with most of the chains like Firestone. You do have to make an appointment for just about anything if you are going to wait though...they have a lot of loyal customers and are always busy, but that's a good sign.
You hit the nail on the head. Even better is to find a shop where the owner IS the one and only tech (or has 1 or 2 employees).
Best advice I can give is to check your BBB online. You'd be amazed at the records of some businesses (BAD!). But you can find local shops that have been around a long time that are small and do great work (and have a perfect BBB report). I find it good when you call and it takes a week to get an appointment!
Agreed 100% sir!!!!!!!!
The guy my dad and I deal with now, and probably the only guy I'd ever trust to work on my vehicles owns a small shop in the middle of nowhere. He has no employees, but a decent sized customer base of LOYAL customers who depend on him to do nothing but the best work. PERIOD. He's an ex-GM electronics and diagnostics specialist who doesn't get along with other mechanics all that well because of his way of doing things. It's done right, or it's not done at all.
Finding guys like this is like finding a needle in a haystack though........
The guy I take my car to now only does Toyota's and Lexuses and his shop is also a hole in the wall out by the airport. For emergency repairs, you're screwed. But for big maintenance items or bigtime repairs, I won't go anywhere else. Minimum 3 days to get in there. I've found that the hole in the wall shops are usually the best. Also, take note of how clean the work area is. This guys shop looks like a race shop. Not a spec of dirt anywhere and there isn't tools and junk laying around everywhere.
Another plus is the biggest speed shop in town is next door to his shop. I waited there one day and watched a turbocharged beast of a drag mustang get run on the dyno. Heck, that was worth the wait anyday of the week!
Another plus is the biggest speed shop in town is next door to his shop. I waited there one day and watched a turbocharged beast of a drag mustang get run on the dyno. Heck, that was worth the wait anyday of the week!
I know about those shops way out in the middle of nowhere. There's one that I go to when I can't do something myself. Great work, fairly cheap, and usually pretty good about installing parts I bring.
Too bad he's 700 miles away now.
Too bad he's 700 miles away now.
Originally Posted By: wcbcruzer
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Would you mind naming the shop? I'm in Bakersfield also and have had nothing but bad luck with everyone but Kern Transmission. Only place in town where I can honestly say the service is top notch and the owner is honest.
Hey how's it going! I got the brake fluid "flushed" at Brake Masters on Brundage. My uncle had problems with the Jaguar dealership in Pasadena (Rusnak). Then he brought it to the Jaguar dealership here in Bakersfield and the service was a little better. The mechanic at this one is really good but unfortunately he's not the one running the show. It's the crooks behind the service counter.
I've also had issue with Carrol's Tire. I'm pretty much going to stay away from all these types of places. Now if you want a GOOD shop, go to Tim Pearson's alignment shop on Chester (right next to Deja Vu), Bob's muffler, and recently i've had pretty good experience with King's muffler. I've also heard good stuff about All Transmission and Gil's Transmissions but I've never been there. I actually need to find a good tranny shop.
You're totally right. Tim's place is the best alignment place in town unfortunately if you're just anyone off the street, there's the 1-4month waiting list but it shows that he's good.
All Automatic is good. Brandon is a good builder. Ken at Kern Transmission is a great guy. I worked there from 17-21 years old and have remained friends with him through the years. He's one of the most honest people around and probably the only shop I would refer a family member to. It's always good for the customer when the owner of the shop is also the builder.
I'm not sure if you're into racing but I have a rematch set up with a new Z06 at Sonic on Olive next weekend
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
Would you mind naming the shop? I'm in Bakersfield also and have had nothing but bad luck with everyone but Kern Transmission. Only place in town where I can honestly say the service is top notch and the owner is honest.
Hey how's it going! I got the brake fluid "flushed" at Brake Masters on Brundage. My uncle had problems with the Jaguar dealership in Pasadena (Rusnak). Then he brought it to the Jaguar dealership here in Bakersfield and the service was a little better. The mechanic at this one is really good but unfortunately he's not the one running the show. It's the crooks behind the service counter.
I've also had issue with Carrol's Tire. I'm pretty much going to stay away from all these types of places. Now if you want a GOOD shop, go to Tim Pearson's alignment shop on Chester (right next to Deja Vu), Bob's muffler, and recently i've had pretty good experience with King's muffler. I've also heard good stuff about All Transmission and Gil's Transmissions but I've never been there. I actually need to find a good tranny shop.
You're totally right. Tim's place is the best alignment place in town unfortunately if you're just anyone off the street, there's the 1-4month waiting list but it shows that he's good.
All Automatic is good. Brandon is a good builder. Ken at Kern Transmission is a great guy. I worked there from 17-21 years old and have remained friends with him through the years. He's one of the most honest people around and probably the only shop I would refer a family member to. It's always good for the customer when the owner of the shop is also the builder.
I'm not sure if you're into racing but I have a rematch set up with a new Z06 at Sonic on Olive next weekend
Originally Posted By: alreadygone
Might be interesting to see what all of your internal job fitness/performance reports look like.
Nobody is as hard on me as myself. I'd be disgusted with myself if I did things in a way that many consider acceptable.
Might be interesting to see what all of your internal job fitness/performance reports look like.
Nobody is as hard on me as myself. I'd be disgusted with myself if I did things in a way that many consider acceptable.
Being in the business, I dislike ineptness, carelessness, and disguised theft as much or more than anyone.
I can also add that I did not get rich being honest and conscientious. But it's OK.
I can also add that I did not get rich being honest and conscientious. But it's OK.
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