Independent AM Garages

[V8 Animal]

I found these and very local to me http://www.astonengineering.co.uk/

Anybody used them? I realise they service older cars but i will ask when mines due for a service i can't see why they would'nt carry out a service on newer cars.

[burntout]

yeti said:

burntout said:

The wheels turned up today... Bloody gorgeous!! cant wait to get it back all complete, ready to park up on the drive..

Very much looking forward to seeing the results! I assume you'll start a nice thread full of pictures

You can count on it Yeti.... Been sniffing around the Berkshire contryside for a decent location...

[STICKY3]

Hmmm, on personal experience I have used Grange, Works service and Chiltern Aston , whilst it was a great experience going to works service I did have a few grubbles for example the first time the car went there I was given a tour and procedure of servicing explained to me namely a service card displayed in the cars window which was ticked or signed at each stage ie arrival, works complete and valet as I live near by I had arranged to collect the car out of hours with the keys left with security, upon collection, on a lovely sunny evening it was disappointing to find the car had not been cleaned despite it being signed off as having been as I had been dropped off by a relative I had no option but to take the car `as is` the following day I rang and complained and fair play the car was collected, valeted, and returned at no cost to me, however it shouldnt have happened, especially by Works Service, the second bad experience related to a slight misfire, had the car into works service to rectify, upon collection I was told `the faulty starter switch had been fixed` not being mechanically minded I asked `oh was that what was causing the misfire` the look on the service managers face confirmed that obviously there had been a mix up in faults between cars, despite assurances the fault had been fixed, the trip home confirmed it hadnt. Shortly following this last experience (my last) with works service Chiltern Aston, a company I have used previously with my DB7 became Approved by AML for servicing DB9`s a quick call, car collected, fault discovered (a faulty coil) car returned valeted, wow!! sad to say but a different league altogether ok I didnt get the complimentary aml mints, but the money saved in hourly labour costs enough to pay for a decent meal out.

[NigelStn]

V8 Animal said:

I found these and very local to me http://www.astonengineering.co.uk/

Anybody used them? I realise they service older cars but i will ask when mines due for a service i can't see why they would'nt carry out a service on newer cars.

Aston Engineering are extremely good with older cars, with particularly helpful staff, but very very busy and you have to book a long time ahead. They are starting to look at servicing the more modern cars.

[magnus73]

I've only had experience with Chiltern my last few visits & can only agree with Sticky3's comments.

Chiltern Aston are one of the few 'traditional' garages still around & you just can't beat 'good old fashioned service' which I have always had from thease guys...

Regards

Mag

[F1 NDW]

STICKY3 said:

Hmmm, on personal experience I have used Grange, Works service and Chiltern Aston , whilst it was a great experience going to works service I did have a few grubbles for example the first time the car went there I was given a tour and procedure of servicing explained to me namely a service card displayed in the cars window which was ticked or signed at each stage ie arrival, works complete and valet as I live near by I had arranged to collect the car out of hours with the keys left with security, upon collection, on a lovely sunny evening it was disappointing to find the car had not been cleaned despite it being signed off as having been as I had been dropped off by a relative I had no option but to take the car `as is` the following day I rang and complained and fair play the car was collected, valeted, and returned at no cost to me, however it shouldnt have happened, especially by Works Service, the second bad experience related to a slight misfire, had the car into works service to rectify, upon collection I was told `the faulty starter switch had been fixed` not being mechanically minded I asked `oh was that what was causing the misfire` the look on the service managers face confirmed that obviously there had been a mix up in faults between cars, despite assurances the fault had been fixed, the trip home confirmed it hadnt. Shortly following this last experience (my last) with works service Chiltern Aston, a company I have used previously with my DB7 became Approved by AML for servicing DB9`s a quick call, car collected, fault discovered (a faulty coil) car returned valeted, wow!! sad to say but a different league altogether ok I didnt get the complimentary aml mints, but the money saved in hourly labour costs enough to pay for a decent meal out.

Very glad I saw this thread. I have a very big service due this year and I did plan on taking it to WS. I'm now realising that WS are maybe too big for the personal touch. I took my car to WS for the free inspection being offered in the AMOC mag. The bill I received was for someone else with the same surname (it was £0.00)I've decided that they are just too careless.
With WS now off the list there are Three other options still left and one is pulling well out in front! We do need as many comments as possible about peoples experiences with the garages. Then we can make the best informed choice.

[v8woollie]

STICKY3 said:

Hmmm, on personal experience I have used Grange, Works service and Chiltern Aston

I bought my car from Grange Welwyn and so far they have been superb on sorting out a couple of niggles. As they are close to me I was intending to use them for service. How did you find Grange? I see that the Welwyn branch has come top for customer service and satisfaction so I assume they must be fine.

[hartley]

Does any body know whether servicing a modern Aston is particularly difficult ? I have just paid 1000 pounds (negotiated down from 1250 quoted) for a so called major service but when you look at the check sheet they appear to have done little more than check stuff and change some fluids - is it really any different from my Lexus service at 550 pounds or my merc at 500 pounds from franchised dealers ( local garage does either for 350 max ). What's special about Astons other than the fact that the owners have money and are gullible ?

[Lunablack]

hartley said:

What's special about Astons other than the fact that the owners have money and are gullible ?

There is Nothing special about the AM format..... It's the same as many other cars... 4 wheels, a pretty basic engine, built on an alloy chassis....it really is a simple format.. In fact when I took my car for its MOT a couple of weeks back, the mechanic was quite surprised at how ordinary the car was underneath

I absolutely refuse to use any main stealer until they become more reasonable in their rates...

I will always use a specialist.... And if for some reason I can't, I'll use the well trusted garage I've used for the last 15 years for my other cars...

A £1000 quid for little more than an oil change and a check over is nothing short of theft without violence....

[burntout]

Lunablack said:

There is Nothing special about the AM format..... It's the same as many other cars... 4 wheels, a pretty basic engine, built on an alloy chassis....it really is a simple format.. In fact when I took my car for its MOT a couple of weeks back, the mechanic was quite surprised at how ordinary the car was underneath

I absolutely refuse to use any main stealer until they become more reasonable in their rates...

I will always use a specialist.... And if for some reason I can't, I'll use the well trusted garage I've used for the last 15 years for my other cars...

A £1000 quid for little more than an oil change and a check over is nothing short of theft without violence....

I think all the while indipendant AM specialists ensure better service at a more reasonable cost, its a wonder anyone takes their car to a main dealer for anything except warranty work.

Personaly I will from now on always use my favoured indi for everything..

And the sooner AM realise that they really dont match up very well as far as service goes, I imagine they will continue to lose customers....

As pointed out to me recentley, my car has done under 2000 miles since its last service. So what will be required on my next service?? Not much I would imagine, but I bet if it went into a main dealer they would carry out all the trimmings dot for dot regardless of if it was needed,, and then... A large bill for what??

[X7LDA]

burntout said:

and then... A large bill for what??

..for the AM official stamp in your service book and on all of your invoices.

Not so much on an older car however you'll find that when someone goes to spend £70/80/90+ thousand they will more often than not look to an official dealer with a warranty. If they can't find one and decide to look privately then I imagine the above will sell a lot quicker than a car of the same price with work completed by an unknown garage.

I guess for car enthusiasts that know what to look for then this might not necessarily be the case, as we/they will know people like DMS are just as trust worthy, however, not everyone is on PH - or any car forum for that matter. Personally, when I bought my car, I bought the one with full AMSH and passed up a slightly cheaper option that hadn't been touched by a main dealer in over three years. The latter sat up for sale for over 5 months....

[v8woollie]

burntout said:

I think all the while indipendant AM specialists ensure better service at a more reasonable cost, its a wonder anyone takes their car to a main dealer for anything except warranty work.

Personaly I will from now on always use my favoured indi for everything..

And the sooner AM realise that they really dont match up very well as far as service goes, I imagine they will continue to lose customers....

As pointed out to me recentley, my car has done under 2000 miles since its last service. So what will be required on my next service?? Not much I would imagine, but I bet if it went into a main dealer they would carry out all the trimmings dot for dot regardless of if it was needed,, and then... A large bill for what??

I specifically spoke about this with Grange as I will only do 2-3k miles per year. They told me that they are ways pragmatic about such things and will look at what does and doesn't need replacing at the time. We'll see how this pragmatism works in practice but I will go elsewhere if I feel I am getting ripped off for the service.

[burntout]

X7LDA said:

..for the AM official stamp in your service book and on all of your invoices.

Not so much on an older car however you'll find that when someone goes to spend £70/80/90+ thousand they will more often than not look to an official dealer with a warranty. If they can't find one and decide to look privately then I imagine the above will sell a lot quicker than a car of the same price with work completed by an unknown garage.

I guess for car enthusiasts that know what to look for then this might not necessarily be the case, as we/they will know people like DMS are just as trust worthy, however, not everyone is on PH - or any car forum for that matter. Personally, when I bought my car, I bought the one with full AMSH and passed up a slightly cheaper option that hadn't been touched by a main dealer in over three years. The latter sat up for sale for over 5 months....

That is a very valid point..... When I bought mine I looked for full AM history!!
And I suppose not every Aston owner or potential owner comes on here to read whos who etc....

[Lunablack]

Buying a car with a full AM dealer history is no guarantee of getting a better car than one with a non AM dealer history..

At the end of the day, if I sell my car, I may get £4 or £5k less due to not having full AM history..... But I'll have paid out about £10k less for the servicing I have had done, so in the long run, I'd still be £5k better of... and the car will still have a full history....

From my point of view, I have no problem spending money (just ask the wife).... In fact I love a bit of retail therapy now and then..... But the one thing I hate, is the feeling I've been had over.... I can just imagine all those main dealer service managers as I walk out of the reception. "hahaha... There goes another one"


It's not just AM either..... I was speaking to a friend on Friday, he'd just had his BMW 118d in for a service....
Oil change & filter
Air filter
Polen filter

£375 quid...

So that's £20 quids worth of oil, a £5 filter, £10 air filter, £15 Polen filter.... £50 quids worth of parts... 1 hour to do the job

Nice work if you can get it....

[bogie]

so the idea is that you pay £1K a service instead of say £500, just so that the next owner can have the piece of mind of the dealer stamp ?

I just checked Parkers and for my car on an 06/55 and it reckons about £4K price difference on resale from mint nick private to poor condition with patchy history..and £3k difference "private good" and trade price

so thats £3k between me keeping it in perfect condition for the next owner, paying £1K a service a year etc or just leave it and get rid to an auction for £3k less

//think I will continue with an indy, I really dont think it will make much odds if I get rid of it at 10 years old with 80K miles on it

[X7LDA]

I don't disagree with the above at all, but my point is most people (who are spending that kind of money and going for a supercar brand) who don't have a bloody clue what they are talking about when it comes to owning/run a premium car will be none the wiser and will automatically assume FAMSH is better and assuming they can afford it, head to a dealer.

For example, neither my dad or brother will buy any car without full main dealer history. And they have to buy from a dealer. But I don't mind as much - as I feel confident enough to know what to look for.

Yes, in the long run and assuming you live near an independent (for example, there is not one in Scotland or anywhere close by) then independent may be the better option. But washing £500 quid a year through your expenses will be less noticeable to the average Jo than taking a £3-5k hit at time of sell - not to mention the additional time it takes to sell the thing.

Not saying one or the other is better - just saying...

[Jockman]

We seem to have 2 topics running coterminus here - Dealer / Private purchase and FSH v FAMSH. These are not always natural bedfellows.

I have been quoted a p/x price by a Dealer, regardless of who has serviced my car - 2 Dealers + 1 Indy in 3 years.

When I do eventually upgrade, it may well be to a Dealer who will give me an excellent deal, take on and sell a car without a FAMSH, and the deal should be complete within an hour.

I'm totally comfortable with using recognised Indy Specialists

[hartley]

so what about a list of indy's - which is where we came in I think ?

[Jockman]

hartley said:

so what about a list of indy's - which is where we came in I think ?

I'm with you there Hartley me old sweaty.

It was the subject of my very first posting many moons ago.

The trouble is that it can be a moving target, with some Indys lapsing, others rising.

VERY surprised at the lack of Indys in Jockland though