Rant! Fiero Mechanics

[Fierofool]

The Georgia Fiero Club has at least 5 Fiero mechanics as members or associated with the club.  They are experienced and very knowledgeable of the Fiero.  They are in the business of working on Fieros because they love the cars and they want to provide Fiero-friendly service and repairs.  They want to give you the best service and prices you can find to keep your car safely on the road.

I have heard incidents from at least 3 of these five mechanics that were very similar.  Customers came to them through references from other Georgia Fiero Club members.  They were referred because we know the quality and experience of the individuals providing a service. 

Customers have come to them to get work done at the lowest prices around.  Then, they have the audacity to want the mechanic to sign all kinds of papers guaranteeing prices for repair work, agreeing to be responsible for theft, damage, scratches, dust in the AC vents, dog pee on the tires and any other thing they can think of. 

You must understand that sometimes there are things that are unexpected.  When replacing a clutch, there could be damage to the release bearing fork or a leaky main shaft seal.  A tune up might require extra work to remove a broken spark plug that's been in the car for 15 years.  A brake job might reveal rotted and collapsed brake lines. 

They are already giving you the best prices you can find anywhere.  Many of them sell you new parts at their cost and only charge for labor.  Don't try to get something for nothing.  If you think they're going to pad the bill with labor and parts you don't need, then you don't trust them.  If you don't trust them, then please go somewhere else.  Go to a dealer and pay over $400 for a tuneup.  Go to an automotive service center and pay $80 to get your thermostat replaced.  Get your wheel bearings repacked with chassis lube that will melt and run out before you get home. 

Our members want you to get the best deal you can get when you have your car worked on.  We want you to be around and be a part of us.  We are probably recommending someone who has worked on our own Fiero and whom we feel will give you the best value for your dollar.  Trust us.  Trust the mechanic we send you to, but please don't ask them to unconditionally guarantee they won't charge you for something that may be hidden from view.  Remember, they're already giving you the lowest prices you can find.  They don't have a lot of cushion to give something for nothing.

You can find testimonials throughout our forum praising the mechanics associated with the Georgia Fiero Club.  Nowhere do you find any mention of anyone getting ripped off.  You can take that to the bank along with the savings you earn by using those mechanics. 

[Fiero GTB]

IMHO, WhoDeanie is a prime example of this.

Ever since I bought the Mera (when I met the seller at WhoDeanie's shop!), I've been impressed, and have actually 'argued' with Dean on more than one occasion to PLEASE GO AHEAD AND CHARGE ME for that "little extra" thing he did, especially when that type of stuff invariably takes 20 minutes!

He really does make a heroic effort to give value for the money, but fair's fair, and the best thing we (customers) can do to make certain the best mechanics stay around for several years, it to LET THEM PAY THEIR OPERATING COSTS and MAKE A PROFIT.

Now, so there's no confusion, this next statement is NOT aimed at WhoDeanie:

Asking someone to guarantee a fixed price, etc. is just plain unreasonable. I don't, however, believe it's unreasonable to be concerned that WHOEVER works on your Fiero should be ready and willing to provide proof that they are bonded and insured.

What would happen if my car was stolen from their garage?

Or if they wrecked it, road-testing it?

Or it fell off a pair of jacks and broke their, or someone else's foot, who decided to sue; and their attorney slapped a lien on MY car as part of their business property?

Or, yada, yada, waa-hoo, blah, blah...

Being PROFESSIONAL has to be practiced from BOTH sides.

DETAILED RECEIPTS are important (to me), too. In my case, it's because when I go to re-sell the Mera, I'm certain that these will help bolster it's value; because they will document that the car was well-maintained by a competent, professional mechanic.

I'd like to hear more from some of the mechanics, and customers... this is an interesting topic that is very important to all of us.

God has blessed me with the expert writing and photography skills that allow me to hire expert mechanics like WhoDeanie who are really good at what they do.

Otherwise, my Mera would be a wobbling, rattling, tumbleweed ball of duct tape, aluminum foil, chewing gum and gorilla glue.

FGTB

[meatloafsandwich]

As a customer of Whodeanies: I have to agree 100% on his attitude, character, and just plain quality and pride of his workmanship. I too have experienced his "above and beyond" approach to things. I bought a used windshield from him and paid him to install it (VERY reasonable too) and before we were done he noticed a coolent leak and had pressure tested the whole system and found the leak yet when I offered to pay...."dont worry about it".

I just had Lee Arnette replace an ignition control module, he too, was very fair and honest and went way above and beyond replacing stuff that I had no idea was a problem (pos and neg cables, for example) did he charge me? no, of course not

that being said, if one of these wires burns up after a week, I dont feel like i have the right to complain, and i wont either.

I personally agree with you that if you have a sweet ride like you do, and you are getting "major" work done, absoloutly cover your hiney.

for me, i spent more on the wheels and tires than I did for the car! if it blows up tomorrow there will be tears and one more Fiero at pull-a-part

I think we should have a thread, maybe in the Club News section, that lists all the Fiero mechanics in the club and maybe even a place for customers to give a recap of their experiences...good or bad. I only knew of 3. one was too far away, one was too busy. I was very happy with the work done, but I had no idea there were more club members that were Fiero mechanics. I mean, my next big thing is a paint job. it would be nice to know who does them and hear feedback from other customers.

what do you think Charlie? permanent thread for Fiero skills and customer feedback a possibility?

[Fierofool]

My initial thoughts---It might be a bad idea to have a thread just for customers relating experiences.  It could turn into a flame war.  If people want to post their experiences, whether good or bad, they can start a thread about their experience, or comment on another's thread.

First, most people would only post about good experiences. We all know that everyone screws up once in a while and not every customer goes away completely satisfied.  If bad experiences were posted, it could get into a big messy situation with others taking sides.  Those things should be taken care of privately and not in the public eye.

I've seen so many good intentioned threads turn into big battles on Pennocks when someone said something negative about a well-respected service or parts supplier.  Rodney Dickman, V8Archie, Fiero Warehouse, West Coast Fiero, The Fiero Factory and the other big icons of the Fiero Community.  One person has a problem, voices it publicly and everyone is on their case. 

There is a section on the home page under Links listing parts and service providers.  Any listing shouldn't be construed as an endorsement by the club, but for informational purposes only.  It should probably be better titled than Links, though.

[meatloafsandwich]

Yea, thought about the whole favorites thing after I hit send
 When it comes time for the paint, I will check out the links and do what I have done for repairs.....ask around....in private.
 still though, alot of very talented mechanics don't have a link or can barely use e-mail for that matter. So I will still be asking for advice from fellow club members.

 the reasons I joined this club was because of the camaraderie, knowledge, and kindness of the other members, not to mention that I don't have to read a cuss word in every other post. So the last thing I want to do is start problems so, I agree that a dedicated thread is a bad idea, but I will always ask for recommendations from the rest of the club.

[Donster]

I won't even begin to list all the things Lee Arnette did to Anne's car, without charging us a dime!
Mainly because I don't have all day to type it out here

Let it suffice that being not too far away, Lee can expect to take care of all our mechanical needs from now on.

\D

[Tha Driver]

I do just about everything except upholstery. Body/paint/custom paint/fiberglass/custom fabrication/complete restorations. A lot of restorations require complete rebuilds of every mechanical part on the car, so I do mechanical too - including engine rebuilds. I also do engine swaps, because they require a lot of custom fabrication that most mechanic shops don't do.  I'll be glad to do any custom fabrication needed to help others do swaps too.  I have a website for the custom fiberglass parts I make, but not for my shop as it's more of a hobby thing - for friends, club members, etc. If a club member wants to come by & work on his/her car, they're welcome to do that. If they need a paint job & want to help with it to save money, that's fine too. I understand - especially in this economy - not everyone can afford a GOOD paintjob (paint/materials alone can get expensive!).  But I do not have insurance so don't bring me a car to work on & if my shop burns down on top of it expect it to be covered - that's what you have insurance on the car for. (If you don't have full coverage on your car check out Grundy. They're cheap & will cover it if it's not a "daily driver" or work transportation.) I don't drive anyone's car unless I have to in order to test it & only with their permission. No need to test drive a car if I'm painting it. 
Just let me know if your car needs painting or if you need any help or work done to your car.
I can also highly recommend Lee Arnette & Whodeanie for mechanical work & engine swaps, & Dean does a lot of fiberglass parts too.
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Custom Fiberglass Parts

Hey Charlie here's a banner I just made to go on the club website  :

[meatloafsandwich]

paul, I would like to drive out to see you about paint when I get home

[CowsPatoot]

paul, I would like to drive out to see you about paint when I get home

After seeing him in action on Chris's Lotus, I would definitely recommend him.  If he hadn't had mods done at the same time (smoothed out the grill openings and bulge for the license plate), nobody would be able to tell that it had been repaired...and that included blending a three(?) layer paint.

The other thing that many forget is that these mechanics only get paid for the services they provide inside their shop walls.  I greatly appreciated Dean looking over the convertible's engine for issues I wouldn't have noticed (like a kickdown cable that was already starting to melt against the EGR valve) and working with Trinten on his loose bolt to make sure he wasn't the one to be stranded.  And Paul probably spends more time giving out free advice on fiberglass and body work on the forums than he does working on customers' cars.  Sorry, I don't have examples to give for the others.

[Tha Driver]

paul, I would like to drive out to see you about paint when I get home

Sounds good. Email me at ImThaDriver at yahoo & I'll send you my phone # & directions.

Thanks Greg. 

~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Custom Fiberglass Parts

[meatloafsandwich]

will do Paul. thanks

[Flyboy81]

I do plenty of Fiero work here in Johnson City.  I find most of my Fiero customers are just thankful to find someone who doesnt see the car and turn them right out the door claiming that these cars are just impossible to work on.  If one of them would come having me sign papers, they would no longer be a customer of mine.  I help my customers out 100% if they have problems after my work is done.  It stinks that some people are that way when it comes to having work done of any kind.  I can also see their side when it comes to these cars because so many mechanics that CLAIM they know what they are doing, say they did the work but the car still falls apart and costs twice as much to fix later.

[meatloafsandwich]

Where the heck is Johnson City?

[GTRS Fiero]

Other than MikeMac, do we have any Fiero mechanics left?

[Raydar]

Probably none that will claim it, due to the stuff mentioned above.
I do pretty much all of my own work, but I really don't care to get involved with working on other peoples' cars. At least not for money.
With that said, if someone else wants to "own" the project, I don't mind jumping in and helping, however I can. (Mike's car, for example. Anytime someone wants to do something, I'm good for it, with a little bit of advance warning.)