Does the state of a garages workshops put you off?
Discussion
Personally if I look in a garage and it's spotless, tools put away, everything looking ordered I think I'm looking at someone who will apply the same care and attention to my car.
I was thinking this as I passed the open workshop doors of a certain national big chain - let's call the Wal Frauds - in Leeds today (the one near Bewleys). The place was filthy inside, crap everywhere, just a filthy tip. OK, I wouldn't have my car fixed there anyway, but I just thought "Jesus - if that's how they look after their stuff what do they do with customers cars?".
I'd contrast it with a place in Liverpool I was at recently - it wasn't glittering like a Mercedes workshop for example, the stuff had a patina of use, but it was obviously tidied daily, tools put away, a place for everything, and it all looked well cared for.
Does anyone else think like this?
I was thinking this as I passed the open workshop doors of a certain national big chain - let's call the Wal Frauds - in Leeds today (the one near Bewleys). The place was filthy inside, crap everywhere, just a filthy tip. OK, I wouldn't have my car fixed there anyway, but I just thought "Jesus - if that's how they look after their stuff what do they do with customers cars?".
I'd contrast it with a place in Liverpool I was at recently - it wasn't glittering like a Mercedes workshop for example, the stuff had a patina of use, but it was obviously tidied daily, tools put away, a place for everything, and it all looked well cared for.
Does anyone else think like this?
Best garage I've ever been to where the work was done to a high standard at a good price with a sense of humour when things weren't going according to plan has an oil stained floor, a pit, a couple of ramps and a lot of toolboxes on wheels.
t'd take probably 5 cars, hasn't been painted in a while, and has a fair few oily hand marks here and there with a good topless calendar placed around the back, but everything's well placed and things are put away after use.
t'd take probably 5 cars, hasn't been painted in a while, and has a fair few oily hand marks here and there with a good topless calendar placed around the back, but everything's well placed and things are put away after use.
I used to deliver for a motor factor, and some of the best garages i delivered to were the small dirty ones.
They were usually run by a mechanic who could repair cars.
And the big shiney places are run by technicians, who just replace broken parts and fit new ones.
Give me a 1 man back street garage any day
They were usually run by a mechanic who could repair cars.
And the big shiney places are run by technicians, who just replace broken parts and fit new ones.
Give me a 1 man back street garage any day
There's an indy near me. He wears a flat cap, scruffy overalls and his workshop is always full of old stuff from the 70's.
The garage is a mess, old bottles all over the place, a typical type of working mans shed.
He comes out and fills the car up for you, like the used to do in the old days.
I've heard that his garage is a very good one indeed.
The garage is a mess, old bottles all over the place, a typical type of working mans shed.
He comes out and fills the car up for you, like the used to do in the old days.
I've heard that his garage is a very good one indeed.
Piepiepie said:
There's an indy near me. He wears a flat cap, scruffy overalls and his workshop is always full of old stuff from the 70's.
The garage is a mess, old bottles all over the place, a typical type of working mans shed.
He comes out and fills the car up for you, like the used to do in the old days.
I've heard that his garage is a very good one indeed.
There's one like that in Nether LangwithThe garage is a mess, old bottles all over the place, a typical type of working mans shed.
He comes out and fills the car up for you, like the used to do in the old days.
I've heard that his garage is a very good one indeed.
big bloke said:
I used to deliver for a motor factor, and some of the best garages i delivered to were the small dirty ones.
They were usually run by a mechanic who could repair cars.
And the big shiney places are run by technicians, who just replacebroken parts and fit new ones. until fault found.
Give me a 1 man back street garage any day
EFAThey were usually run by a mechanic who could repair cars.
And the big shiney places are run by technicians, who just replace
Give me a 1 man back street garage any day
While I agree that there are some very suspect back street dealings
My TVR was repaired by what I would call an 'engineer'. Someone who would look logically at the problem then use BRAIN to solve it.
Remember back in the day (
I hate that saying) cars were repaired without computer and while I agree that computers/diagnostics DO sort/solve 99% of faults they do not cure all.I remember the case of a starter motor fault that finally turned out to be a poor earthing problem and nothing to do with the starter itself. All the garage kept doing is replacing the part.
Edited by Morningside on Thursday 24th November 19:45
The indy I use is an absolute state - tools are looked after but an oil-stained floor scattered with sawdust, 'things' everywhere, rows of shelves home to all manner of things, a pair of two-post lifts and a great aroma. It's packed with bits of old Alfa Romeos, and the desk upstairs is surrounded by parts from broken cars. If there are more than two people in the office the chances are you'll be sitting in a car seat on the floor.
It's a brilliant place. The head guy knows exactly what he's doing, and is a proper 'mechanic'. The other chap is a very skilled bodywork man. I'd trust them with anything!
It's a brilliant place. The head guy knows exactly what he's doing, and is a proper 'mechanic'. The other chap is a very skilled bodywork man. I'd trust them with anything!
shovelheadrob said:
I would like to say yes but one of the best (ability & honesty) mechanics I know works in organised chaos, it's a low budget operation but there isn't anything I wouldn't trust him to do.
This - My workshop is far from disorganised and tools are always put away - namely to make sure none have been lost or stolen (it has happened in the past where customers have pinched nice looking tools) but you wouldn't want to eat your tea in there.Lets be honest, dealer workshops are spotless and personally - I wouldn't trust them with anything
The place we send our lorries to is a small indy place. Everything is spick and span and he does good work for a reasonable price.
The fitter at work has stuff in his workshop that hasn't seen the light of day for decades and there is hardly room to repair a puncture in a push bike in there. He can turn his hand to just about anything.
The fitter at work has stuff in his workshop that hasn't seen the light of day for decades and there is hardly room to repair a puncture in a push bike in there. He can turn his hand to just about anything.
Willy Nilly said:
...
The fitter at work has stuff in his workshop that hasn't seen the light of day for decades
....
But if he needed a left handed waffle-iron gudgeon pin extractor for a 1934 MK1 Series 4 XYZ I bet he has the part and thats what I love about old garage workshops, years of one-off specialist tools that have been waiting and people who know what they are and how to use them.The fitter at work has stuff in his workshop that hasn't seen the light of day for decades
....
My local garage is full of tools everywhere, man with flat cap and he owns a Lotus Cortina, Renault 5 Turbo (mid engine one) and a Lotus Elan. I love finding an excuse to go there!
I would prefer it to a spotless one as it shows they actually do work.
As another poster said clean=fitter dirty&used=mechanic.
I would prefer it to a spotless one as it shows they actually do work.
As another poster said clean=fitter dirty&used=mechanic.
The cleanliness of the workshop? No The storage of his tools? Yes
Most of the best mechanics I have had the pleasure to deal with have workshops that look like a mad scientist's laboratory, but they all had organisation when it came to their tools. IMO that is the mark of a good mechanic.
Most of the best mechanics I have had the pleasure to deal with have workshops that look like a mad scientist's laboratory, but they all had organisation when it came to their tools. IMO that is the mark of a good mechanic.
Panayiotis said:
The cleanliness of the workshop? No The storage of his tools? Yes
Most of the best mechanics I have had the pleasure to deal with have workshops that look like a mad scientist's laboratory, but they all had organisation when it came to their tools. IMO that is the mark of a good mechanic.
Ah - OP here - I think you have put into proper words what I was trying to say. Most of the best mechanics I have had the pleasure to deal with have workshops that look like a mad scientist's laboratory, but they all had organisation when it came to their tools. IMO that is the mark of a good mechanic.
Dog Star said:
Ah - OP here - I think you have put into proper words what I was trying to say.
My toolbox is my pride and joy all tools have a place and i even have a NO RATTLE POLICEY wich means if i open a drawer and something rattles or moves around it need a foam insert making this is a tad OTT but my god my box is tidy and just at a glance i can tell you if any tools are missing but i will also say my workshop is spotless as well i take great pride in the workshop and the equipment i use so im always picking up the brush it only takes 5 min and sets me up for the next job my first garage was a s
t hole and i got dirty just looking at the place so makes a nice change but i think it makes no change to the skill of the technician Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff