A Sense of Hopelessness

[Alfadog]

Do good mechanics exist?

I have had numerous different mechanics work on my car and it seems that every mechanic out there is a greasy-handed, all-thumbed kluts. Is it the Datsun badge that makes them think the car isn't worth looking after? Or have I just had bad luck? Or, God forbid, are all mechanics really as stupid as the ones I have met make out to be???

When I got my roadworthy, the mechanic lent on the fender with his elbow with such a force that it bent in and back out again, leaving some strain lines in the paint.

When I got my brakes looked at and the bonnet opening catch working, they told me my master cylinder was broken (well, DUH) and they fixed the bonnet by prying it open with a screwdriver. Now there is a nice chip in the paint between the bonnet shutline. Oh and he told me I needed new tyres. He must have looked carefully, as there was grease all over the wheel arches...

There are no Datsun places on the Gold Coast - the nearest one is in Brisbane.. but I think I'll drive it up there just so I know that the car will be bloody looked after. It needs a couple of things done at the moment and I'm not willing to just go to any old place as they're bound not to care.

Anyone else have similar experiences? I'm starting to begin to understand why all those people fix their own cars ... sure it takes a heap of time but you know the job will be done right...

Lachlan.

[Bambikiller240]

Originally posted by Alfadog

Do good mechanics exist?

They exist but are as rare as unicorns!

Originally posted by Alfadog

I'm starting to begin to understand why all those people fix their own cars ... sure it takes a heap of time but you know the job will be done right...

and the Lord said, "Let there be Light!"

Welcome to the Club! Now, get out there and buy some tools and a factory manual!

[halz]

Talk. Talk to your friends, talk to other car owners, talk to classic car owners. They will all be able to tell you horror stories but hopefully they will also be able to recommend a 'tame' mechanic or two...

They do exist, they do listen and they do tell the truth - its just a lot of work to sift through the dross and find them.

[g260]

Why not contact the Qld Z club, http://www.zcarclubq.org.au/, there is a fair chance they may be able to point you in the right direction.

HTH

Geoff

[ZmeFly]

i am a mechanic and i work on my own car but if i took it to a shop and things like that were going on someone would be paying dearly this is for certain.

i remember when i wen to get tires on my Z. the guy stars to lift the car with a jack at the pinch weld i ran out into the bay and was flipping.

the owner says you cant be out here.

i informed the owner in not such a nice way that unless he wanted a hefty body repair and paint bill due to his careless workers, he would let me direct them on how to care for my car.

there is no way and i mean NO WAY that i would stand for service like that, grease prints, destroying my personal property.

heh if i were to do that at any of the places i worked at i would be sure to be fired.

[Mr Camouflage]

Thats why I do everything I possibly can myself.

Preformance workshops, apart from charging like wounded bulls seem to take more care.

So are you gonna send the bill for fixing the damage to the mechanics, or just refuse to pay them?

[Alfadog]

I didn't notice the small chip in the paint when I picked up the car and it's not as if I can prove it now anyway..

As for the cracks in the paint on the fender, well that was the mistake of getting it done at a workshop which is owned my dad's friend.

:mad:

I have learned from my mistakes and now I will check over the car when I pick it up, and take action. It is hard however as old blokes dont respect an 18 year old. Most of you have probably forgotten, but the amount of zjit you get just because of your age is infuriating. I am to the stage where I would rather get dad to take the car in and act as if it is his...

[Zedrally]

Originally posted by Alfadog

small snip....

I am to the stage where I would rather get dad to take the car in and act as if it is his...

Ah, you.ve solved your problem after all!

[That Ozzy Guy]

Age and sex has alot to do with the way they treat you. Also your knowledge affects their 'rip off factor'. It sucks and maybe some of you might disagree with me but these things all affect the level of service you get. Now I'm not saying that all mechanics are like this but it's a sad fact that alot of them are. How many of you have heard stories of your friends wife/sister/mother being ripped off by mechanics?

Maybe visiting the mechanics with your older brother or father might yield better results alfadog.

[Z Kid]

I haven't had much work done by mechanics, however I have used two local places, both of which were great. The best way to find a good shop is to look at whats in there workshop. The engine rebuilders (they just bored it i did all reassembly) workshop full of drag cars, racing minis, model T's, sterile area humidity controlled etc. The mechanics, a nice tidy workshop, a pair of rolls royce wedding cars, mats laid over everything, and both were well priced, but if they have a shop full of good cars, chances are they are good and careful.

[Alfadog]

Ah, now there's some insight. All the places I've been so far (excep the roadworthy guys who had a Maserati (getting a rebuilt engine :S) and some Alfas outside) were pretty dirty and full of ordinary cars.

I'm taking my car to the Z Workshop now anyway. No more risks (I hope!).

[Darylick]

I think most "good" mechanics have other skills as well and often leave the field because it's difficult to be competetive on a flat rate scale, If the going flat rate scale for changing the oil is $20 and they can't finish the job in enough time to turn profit they'll go out of bussiness, so if it takes them an extra 15min to do a quality job (floor mats, plastic over the seat, fender protector etc..etc) it eats into the profit or the quality. This works for those without a conscience because they can still sleep at night knowing they've dented your fender or chipped the paint, etc...etc. These are usually people who don't like their job, their wives, their dog, etc...etc.

Though I'm not a rich man I rarely hesitate in paying more to get the quality, and if I didn't pay more and got good service I drop in with a twelve pack next time I'm in the hood. In the long run this returns to the consumer. I've known waitressess to make $80k a year knowing that they have a low end job, but love what they do and care about those they serve. Life is a service industry!

I learned this at the age of 14 when i would mow the neighbors yard and they offer me a soda on hot summer day, some how their yard looked just a little nicer than those who would try to short change me.

[hmsports]

I've been blessed that I know a super honest, thoughtful and excellent mechanic near St. Louis. He is one of those guys that was tired of working for someone else who was a sheister so he started his own shop. When my wife's Exploder (oh, sorry, Explorer) needed A/C work, the Ford dealer told me $2,300 to replace everything because something blew up and ruined the whole system. He was able to get me going again, and convert things to the new ozone-safe coolant for under $400!

I've also heard him on the phone with customers and he is always straight with them and is more concerned with getting things done right, the first time, than getting them done fast - at a fair price too - he doesn't price gouge.

I drive an hour to bring things to him.

[Daniel]

The last paragraph of your post says it all.Learn to fix it yourself.Read a book,take a class,If you're young enough get a summer job at a garage.The education will save you a lifetime of grief.Not to mention if you can work with your hands you can always find work.Knowledge is freedom.

[EScanlon]

Part of the problem with finding good mechanics is that they are as scarce as Hen's Teeth and as expensive as Leprechaun's gold.

Ask around other Z owners. Someone will point you in the right direction.

But be aware that even though their hourly fee may be more than the hillbillies down the street, in the long run the Good mechanic's bill will be LESS!

How, you ask? Simple, while the trained monkeys down the road are busy replacing part after part for several hours before something starts going right and they can proclaim "Fixed!", the Mechanic goes in, checks and verifies his "diagnosis" and repairs or replaces if need be the bad part. By the time the other guys have 6 hours of labor into your car, he has 2 but he's fixed it while the other guys still have to clean up.

That's why he charges 3 times what the other guys do.

But the biggest problem is that the average motorist, looks at his fees and presumes that the other guys, whose fees are lower must be "just as good". They then take their business over to the bad guys leaving the good mechanic without work.

So support the good mechanics. Yes it may "seem" more expensive at first. Until you are STILL running without problems and the guy next to you at the show, who insists on using the Minimum Wage Parts Replacer Of The Week at the local grease hole has had to overhaul his engine a couple of times.

Also, which would you rather do, spend a couple of weekends trying to figure something out that the mechanic can fix in a day? Granted, you pay the mechanic, but isn't your time worth something?

The mechanic I patronize tells me that he's had customers come in, get an estimate, then not come back for a few weeks. Then they come back and the job is worse to do, and sometimes takes him twice the amount of time and effort. It turns out the customer will have taken his car to a "cheaper" mechanic and gotten the job all fouled up. Now the customer is back to get the job done right. But then the car is fixed properly and that customer never goes elsewhere. So that customer ended up paying 3 times to get the work done. Once -poorly, and the next two were to get it undone and then to get it done right.

I have no complaInts.

[Alfadog]

I would love to take a class and learn all about mechanics, but it's just not an option at the moment. I am doing two bachelors in 8 semesters over 2 and 2/3 years. My uni does 3 semesters a year where others do 2. That is why I get hardly any holidays... also why I finish in half the time of anywhere else.

Maybe afterwards... afterall who is going to employ a 20 year old even with 2 degrees? (that's that age thing again)

About asking other Z owners... do you know how many Z's there are on the coast?! I know one owner, I might ring him...

[dohc]

I sympathise with you Alpha, I've run with Gemini's before the Zed and every mechanic treats an 18 year old with a common car pretty badly.

Now that I'm older and have the Zed everyone is interested and I'm usually allowed out the back. It's a bit strange as teh Zed is in under coat and my old Gemini was in mint condition and EFI?

Oh well, as the others have said: Knowledge is Freedom

Hey Z Kid, where did you take you Zed? I'll probably need somewhere to help me eventually :classic:

Cheers,

R.

[Rob]

Quote from Daniel:

The last paragraph of your post says it all.Learn to fix it yourself.Read a book,take a class,If you're young enough get a summer job at a garage.The education will save you a lifetime of grief.Not to mention if you can work with your hands you can always find work.Knowledge is freedom.

Couldn't agree more. $$$ spent on tools, books and the occasional broken part (when you stuff up) will save you heaps in the long run, not to mention the satisfaction and practicalities of being able to fix things yourself.

The only way to learn how to fix things is to get in there and do it yourself (apply a bit of common sense when it comes to fixing safety items).

One more thing - find a good Auto parts shop. One that employs people that know about cars (If more than one wall of the shop is dedicated to crappy sound systems, that's a giveaway that you will get a blank look if you ask how to change brake pads). A good shop will usually be happy to help with a bit of advice if you ask them nicely enough, especially if you are buying enough stuff.

[bonniec75209]

You want to know what really sets me off!?!? When you are trying to find a shop to take your car too, you talk to the mechanic and ask him if he has any experience working on these cars. To which he replies something like "we work on cars, you got a car you want worked on, we will fix it for you." ALL CARS ARE NOT THE SAME!!!!!!!!!!!! This really burns me up!!!!!!!!!!! I don't mind driving a long distance if I know the mechanic is honest, knowledgeable, and last but not least loves these cars as much as I do.