Recommended shops thread??

[wrkngmanByTor]

Just wondering if anyone can put in their two cents on experiences with auto shops around town. I'm trying to stay clear of the "stealerships", I want a good shop for brakes/suspension/alignment, mechanical, and one for body/detailing. I know my limits when it comes to doing my own work versus paying someone who knows how to do the job properly. It just helps to hear from other peoples' experience to find a decent shop that isn't trying to rip everyone off.
I'll start off with a non-recommendation(for tire/wheel shop): Abbsry Tires (Cloverdale). I went in for a flat repair, came out with a badly scratched rim. The shop manager took the wheel off, then removed the tire on what I was soon to find out to be the wrong machine. As he was patching the tire I had a look at the rim to see a scratch around the entire edge. So I confront him about it and he denies he did it, even though all the other rims are nearly flawless. He then takes the wheel and puts it the other machine, which at this point I realize is the one he should have used in the first place. I probably should have confronted him at this point to ask why he didn't use that machine in the first place.
Anyway, to make a short story long, he scratches the rim(at the edge and the lugnut holes), charges me extra for what I assume is the use of the special wheel machine, then to top it all off, replaces the chrome valve cap with a plastic one. I marched right back in with it and said WTF? So he says, "oh yeah, you got chrome ones, huh?", then gets a chrome cap from his office and hands it to me like he's doing me a favor.
Never again shall I step foot in that shop. I advise you don't either.

 

[90210brandon]

can you kindly PM your MSN to me, thank you.
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SPAMMER!

 

[wrkngmanByTor]

Get Out. Spammers Not Tolerated Here.

can you kindly PM your MSN to me, thank you.
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[Rossputin]

I dont pretend to be mechanically inclined at all. Anything car related I take to Velocity Auto Works on Willingdon in Burnaby (http://www3.telus.net/velocity/about_us.htm). Brian is the man and the service is fast and more than reasonable.

 

[wrkngmanByTor]

Hey thanks for the info. I'd like to find something closer to home though (Surrey/Langley) Cheers!

 

[Deleted58156]

well i know for muffler and brake work, the best place to go is Butch's Brake and Muffler.....
There down on King George as you head North bound towards the Patullo bridge and they'll be on your right hand side.
As for overall mechanics work two places i know of...F&D automotive out on Manitoba and Marine in Vancouver, and Budget brake and muffler on scott road and 80th (talk to Andy)

 

[Rossputin]

well i know for muffler and brake work, the best place to go is Butch's Brake and Muffler.....
There down on King George as you head North bound towards the Patullo bridge and they'll be on your right hand side.

Do you know if they can refinish disk brake calipers and wheel hubs? I just got new wheels (see my other thread) and now my old rusted calipers/hubs are needing some love.

 

[Deleted58156]

well possibly but im gonna go ahead and give a an 80% no to that one as i've never needed to ask..Though you could always go down and see him or give him a call and find out.

 

[Deleted58156]

excuse me.....

im sure they can refinish the calipers but not to sure about the hubs

 

[del]

good thread

i usually take my mazda 6 to the dealership to get oil changed and such. i believe it usually ends up running around $40 all in . decent price i'm assuming?

 

[kachur779]

what ever you do dont go to wolf mazda in langey they will scam you break your car do real shity work and there service is s*** if you do decide to go there make sure edward does not work on your car he cracked me turbo hoes when replacing my motor mounts and my power stering belt just walked off me pully the other day the same one that idiot just replaced and if you go back there saying they broke your car they will just say it must of bin like like that before goofs

 

[90210brandon]

I too haven't had great success at Wolfe in Langley and do most of the work myself.

 

[deadstock]

If you're still looking for a brake/suspension/alignment place to have your car worked on you should definitely try Dales Brake and Alignment, it's right across from Wolfe Langley Mazda in the backstreet. It's a small company owned by 2 brothers who have worked on numerous modified cars (including a lot of mazdas as well). I brought my car there after i got my Espelirs and Tokicos in and they did an awesome job in 45min. Service is awesome, came back with not a scratch on the car, and they explain everything to you before you even pay. Hm if you need anymore info on the shop just pm me

 

[kachur779]

went to freeway mazda today that has to be the best place ive ever taken my car talk to kevin service manager

 

[wrkngmanByTor]

yeah, Freeway Mazda's not bad. I took our MPV in there a few times. But still, they have to go by their shop rate, what is it now, about $90/hr? And as for Wolfe Langley, well that's definitely out as I am involved in an ICBC legal issue with one of their employees. But yeah, maybe I'll check out that shop across from there.

 

[Wykydtron]

what ever you do dont go to wolf mazda in langey they will scam you break your car do real shity work and there service is s*** if you do decide to go there make sure edward does not work on your car he cracked me turbo hoes when replacing my motor mounts and my power stering belt just walked off me pully the other day the same one that idiot just replaced and if you go back there saying they broke your car they will just say it must of bin like like that before goofs

Really, that doesn't sound like anything Ed would do or Mark would let happen. Ed is my proffered Tech next to Don. But hey, not everyone can always have a good experience as everyone else.

Bells Auto in Abby is awesome at what they do. Super good work, super honest.

 

[huminator]

I might just be a sucker, but I've always taken my car to my dealership Morrey Mazda in Vancouver (near Hastings & Clarke), which I think is pretty decent.

The only time I needed a repair to my car was when I needed a water pump replaced. At the recommendation of a friend, decided to do it at Outline Auto Repairs Ltd. on Shell Road in Richmond, who did it for about 1/2 the cost of what was quoted by Morrey Mazda.

 

[Deleted58156]

well for one i can admit that budget brake and muffler did a wonderful job on my car when i was having a caliper problem.....plus on top of that the price was decent and every time there was a problem or anything needed to be clarified they guys over at budget would give me a call to let me know whats going on

 

[wrkngmanByTor]

check this out- I got a better deal on front brakes @ Freeway Mazda than what I was quoted at Minitune($215 vs. $235)!! So sometimes it's worth pricing them out. Oh yeah, I also got a free* Mazda umbrella, too!

*nothing in life is free

 

[90210brandon]

check this out- I got a better deal on front brakes @ Freeway Mazda than what I was quoted at Minitune($215 vs. $235)!! So sometimes it's worth pricing them out. Oh yeah, I also got a free* Mazda umbrella, too!

*nothing in life is free

That's good to know that Freeway treated you fairly. Thanks for the homework you did!