Welcome aboard.
Id start looking around for non-chain shops in your area, or independant smaller chains for when you do need them. Look at whats in the parking lot to be worked on/mechanics vehicles to get an idea of what the guys inside are potentially capable of. You know if you see a shop with mostly pre-1990 cars outside that theres a good chance they 1.know carburetors. 2.are not afraid of taking things apart that have been rusted together for years. And of course, ask around. Getting an oil change done at one if you are considering them is a good way to get inside the shop and observe for a while. Do they stick fairly close to your appointment time? Do they have issues with you looking at your vehicle on the lift? (wear safety boots and glasses when you show up, shop insurance companies actually are particular about this). Look around at other projects on the go. At the shop I use, there is an Isuzu medium duty turbo diesel being grafted into a 2000ish Chevy 4x4 pickup. Not a straight drop in, but it looks like it belongs in there (engine/trans got mounted this week). Stuff like that means to me you are not dealing with a shop only wanting fast turnaround easy work and won't get put off by something like a control arm that does not want to come apart easily.
Alex.
Id start looking around for non-chain shops in your area, or independant smaller chains for when you do need them. Look at whats in the parking lot to be worked on/mechanics vehicles to get an idea of what the guys inside are potentially capable of. You know if you see a shop with mostly pre-1990 cars outside that theres a good chance they 1.know carburetors. 2.are not afraid of taking things apart that have been rusted together for years. And of course, ask around. Getting an oil change done at one if you are considering them is a good way to get inside the shop and observe for a while. Do they stick fairly close to your appointment time? Do they have issues with you looking at your vehicle on the lift? (wear safety boots and glasses when you show up, shop insurance companies actually are particular about this). Look around at other projects on the go. At the shop I use, there is an Isuzu medium duty turbo diesel being grafted into a 2000ish Chevy 4x4 pickup. Not a straight drop in, but it looks like it belongs in there (engine/trans got mounted this week). Stuff like that means to me you are not dealing with a shop only wanting fast turnaround easy work and won't get put off by something like a control arm that does not want to come apart easily.
Alex.
Comment