GM Goodwrench?

Scout your neighborhood for a well-preserved older Chevy, then ask the vehicle owner where he gets his servicing done.

 

Find a local car hang out with classic cars and try to find someone who uses a shop for their maintenance and repairs.

 

Just to let you guys know, GTX has dye in it. Find that out with my RMW.

 

I guess I was lucky to find a mechanic that has regular service station but also built hot rods. He was recommended by another forum member and so far I am happy with him. Check out other forums like camaros.net or chevelles.com. They have a lot more traffic and users who may be able to recommend somebody.

 

STOOOOOOPPPPPP!!!!! Just because a shop carries a brand name on the roof, does NOT mean they're any better.

Since I saw Silverfox pop in on this thread, I'm sure he'll have some input too, and as a shop owner myself I'll tell you a few things you should be looking for......

1. Is the shop clean and presentable?
2. Ask for references (government accounts, business accounts, etc)
3. Ask them if they know how to rebuild a carburetor....ask them if they know how to set timing and dwell on a points distributor....as them if they have any other customers with older cars that they work on.
4. Do they do performance work? In many cases a shop that works on older musclecars will have a better familiarity with an older carbureted engine.
5. What kind of diagnostic capabilities do they have?
6. What services do they perform?
7. Word of mouth...ask your friends and family where THEY go.


We'll use my shop for an example.....
We have 2 techs (myself included)....on any given day there is usually at least one classic car in the shop (some days my own, but still) We service the sheriffs department, the post office, the fire department, and at least 4 large businesses in town. We do tires and wheels up to 26". We have the latest in diagnostics and service equipment. We regularily rebuild carburetors since none of the other shops in town, dealers included, will touch one. We work on everything from '08 Crown Vics to a '68 Mustang being converted to fuel injection, to a '71 CJ5 Jeep resto mod project, to an '85 Mercedes 500SL grey market import car.

Look for someone who is honest....thieves in this business piss me off to NO friggin end. The stealership is NOT your friend....neither is the Midas, Firestone service center, Car X, or chain owned store. Look for a small reputable shop...bigger is seldom better. If they work on a broader range of cars, it's more likely that they're more knowledgeable, especially if they do older domestics and imports.

Silverfox can attest to the kind of shop I run.....I went from myself in a one person shop to 2 guys and 5000 sq ft continually full in 1 1/2 yrs, with over 670 different customers. I have a conscious when it comes to someones car...if we screw up, we make it right. We treat our customers like we'd like to be treated if we would go somewhere for service....it doesn't matter if we get 10 cars out or 2, but they're right when they leave.

Do some checking around, because there ARE good places other than the dealer to go!!

 

Thanks for that, Shawn...as the son of a garage owner myself...I could NOT have said it better. I hope people here will take your words to heart and learn that dealership service is an oxymoron.

 

I go to the dealership only for warranty related repairs on new vehicles I own. For everything else I take it somewhere else. Really, ask for recommendation on other high traffic forums. I bet there is somebody in your area that knows reputable shop.

 

Hi Everybody,

Wow, I am once again reminded how awesome this forum is. Thank you, all, for your insights et al. A couple of you raised some questions I'd like to answer.

This all started when I discovered my car was leaking oil to the tune of about a quart every 2 days of daily driving. The puddles were huge.

The outfit that diagnosed my oil leak did so using a dye. I got a really good first impression of them...a few classics in their lot, family run business, etc. Anyway, they started by steam cleaning the engine, adding the dye and told me to come back in about 200 hundred miles, which I did. Upon my return, they told me I had two major leak sources; one was the front seal (near the timing belt) the other was the rear main seal near the transmission. With a repair estimate of nearly $2k and an answer of, "Yes we do engine rebuilds on older cars. We don't like to, be we do...", I thanked them for their time and left. It was shortly after that when I took the wagon in for an oil change, at a place I've trusted before for other work and is walking distance from my office, that the puddles were replaced by droplets. That was three months ago and to this day I only find evidence of dribbles...and that's not even every day any more.

One other thing (in response to somebody's comment...sorry, I can't flip back to look while typing this): I have been using 20W50 since I bought the car nearly 3 years ago. Is that a no-no?

My wagon and my wallet thank all of you discouraging me from going to a dealer for service. Good point about avoiding retail chains too! The place near my work is great, but somewhat limited in what they can do by virtue of their small shop and downtown location. So I'll keep looking. Thanks again!

 

A good mechanic is like finding a good plumber, electrician, or handyman. When you find one, KEEP HIM and if you are happy with the way your encounter went and the work performed was as-described, RECOMMEND him to others and tell them to tell that person that you recommended him.

20W-50 is fine in a warm climate like SoCal, so no worries there. The mechanic said your leak was by the "timing belt" (your car has a timing chain!). And, if the leak were really the front and rear seals, that work is done simply and cheaply. I'd have look up to see what the labor hours would be, but that job entails removing the oil pan and timing cover (plus the front accessories), replacing the seals, and reassembly. NO rebuild or overhaul required!

Since an oil change cured the leak problem, the culprit was either the oil pan drain plug, or the oil filter was loose.

 

Hey Snakeeyes,
Thanks so much for your offer to help! I didn't realize at first you're close by to where I live. The leak issue seems to have subsided, but I'm always looking to meet new folks in the hobby. I'd be happy to drive up some Saturday or Sunday if/when you're available..?
Feel free to PM or email me.

 

You're engine sounds like a perfect candidate for Auto-RX.
http://www.auto-rx.com/
I don't usually recommend snake oils, but in your case I think it's worth a try. The stuff works.
Normally I'd say rent a hoist, pull the engine out, tear it apart and have a look-see.
If you'd some serious discussion on the subject you can go here:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php