INDEPENDENT SPECIALISTS IN NORTH WEST

[MarkyB1]

Hi,

I'm trying to put together a list of independent specialists for each vehicle manufacturer and I need your help!

The concept is that people will no longer be tied to the main dealer for their servicing, advanced diagnostics and repairs so the criteria I am looking for is:

1) Recommended from peoples personal experiences
2) Dealer level diagnostic system - (don't worry if you are not sure I will contact them to confirm)
3) Minimum 2 years experience specialising in their manufacturer.

Initially i am just trialing it for the greater manchester area but if they are just outside that it is fine.

So far I have specialists for, VAG and BMW however the more options the better for us all! If you can post up:

MAKE
COMPANY
YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THEM
WEB
TEL

Or as much info as you can.

Thank you everyone, when it's finished I'll post it up for you all to have a look at.

[Special K]

MAKE : Lotus (Also any other Sports / Race / Rally car)
COMPANY : Phoenix Motorsport
YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THEM : I use them to look after my Elise, Ollie comes very well recommended
WEB : http://www.phoenixmotorsports.co.uk/index.php
TEL : [phone]

[*Kosta*]

Make: Mitsubishi (mostly Evos)and Hondas. Do look after other cars too

Name: Eight Speed of Darwen

I've used them for years for maintaining and repairing my Mitsubishi Evo. Much cheaper and more reliable than any other specialist i've used up here.

http://www.eightspeed.co.uk/

01254 702888

Eight Speed also offer a remapping service for all makes and models.

Edited by *Kosta* on Tuesday 24th January 21:20

[sider]

MAKE: Volkswagen/Audi/SEAT/Skoda
COMPANY: JVW Limited
YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THEM: Extensively used for lots of work on my SEAT Ibiza Cupra TDI over the past 3 or 4 years.
WEB: No
TEL: all info here: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/place?hl=en&prmd...

MAKE: Mercedes (but now also other German brands - would list as MB though)
COMPANY: SGN Autos
EXPERIENCE: Been there years and always seem busy
WEB: ?
TEL: All details here: http://www.goodgaragescheme.co.uk/garage/printdeta...

[MarkyB1]

Thanks guys this is great, I'll get contacting them Please keep them coming!

[Ben Jk]

MAKE Vauxhall
COMPANY Midpoint Garage (Middlewich)
YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THEM Looked after my Astra VXR for me. Great service. Used them regularly for 2 years.
WEB http://www.midpointgarage.co.uk
TEL [phone]

[SlowStig]

MAKE: Lotus (or anything with 4 wheels)

COMPANY: BSS

YOUR EXPERIENCE OF THEM: Used them for a few years on a couple of cars, always willing to chat on the phone and talk through any issues that I have had as well as been happy to explain in detail and discuss any potential modifications/plans with pro/cons. Also has a machine shop on site as well as a paintshop and Jig to fix crash damaged cars. They are experienced with fibreglass repairs and restoration due to specializing in Lotus cars.

WEB: http://www.lotusclassiccars.com/

TEL: Andy 01704 533001 (if he asks, tell him CJ reccommended him)

[sider]

NAME: AGP Automotive
MAKE: Honda and Mitsubishi
EXPERIENCE: Mates Dad is a stickler for quality servicing and takes his Evo 9 here and has watched the chap work and says he's a stickler also for making sure everything's done properly. His son also takes his DC2 there too.
WEB: http://agpautomotive.co.uk/

[MarkyB1]

PERFECT, these are the sorts of places I'm sure we all want to know about. I'm setting up a web page with a search facility for all vehicle makes on it for everyone to organise the list. I'll post the link up here when it's all done. Please keep adding places!

[SlowStig]

On the flip side, what about garages we have had bad experiences with? Not a case of you not liking the owner but those who do genuinly have a bad work ethic and do shoddy repairs?

[MarkyB1]

SlowStig said:

On the flip side, what about garages we have had bad experiences with? Not a case of you not liking the owner but those who do genuinly have a bad work ethic and do shoddy repairs?

Very good point, I think a topic on a board like may work well, however for me to put business' in "bad" catagory list on a website it might be classed as slanderous?

Moreover I've found it is very easy to find people to moan about garages (or trademen in general for that matter) everyone seems to have had a bad experience at sometime, I'd probably end up with pages and pages of places lol.

I find it much harder to get a good reccomendation.

[SlowStig]

Maybe have quite strict guidelines which people should have to adhere to before posting? Such as evidence of the shoddy work done or of dodgy MOT centers etc. I only wonder as I had a bad experience with a garage bodging brake lines on my car which were left resting on my exhaust, causing a hole to appear and brake fluid to piss out onto the hot exhaust when i was slowing down, from 70+ mph, as well as not even fasten the brake line unions together properly. Quite a dangerous issue and the garage refused to admit that they were at fault then said it would take 2 people 2 whole days to fix the issue.

Went to my lotus specialist and he had the problem fixed in 4 hours as well as had a look round the rest of the car to make sure it was safe to drive and showed me pictures he had taken of the problem and what he had done to sort it out and hopefully prevent it happening again.

[sider]

Careful if bad-mouthing anyone though.

I know a guy who had owned forum once and he used to have to massively edit posts due to a threat my a car dealer whom someone on there had called for bad sales, and if he'd have not removed the posts, would've been a fair bit of legal trouble. Dealer was prepared to go to town to get the posts removed!

[MarkyB1]

Has anyone got any other good recomendations to add?

[Deva Link]

MarkyB1 said:

I'll get contacting them

Why do you need to contact them - is this a business proposition, or something you're doing out of the Goodness of your heart?

[MarkyB1]

Deva Link said:

Why do you need to contact them - is this a business proposition, or something you're doing out of the Goodness of your heart?

If someone wanted to put my business on a website I'd want them to ask me first wouldn't you? And no it is free for them.

[Deva Link]

MarkyB1 said:

Deva Link said:

Why do you need to contact them - is this a business proposition, or something you're doing out of the Goodness of your heart?

If someone wanted to put my business on a website I'd want them to ask me first wouldn't you? And no it is free for them.

So who pays?

[sider]

Pressumably Mark's idea is to make the website popular, at his cost, and then when he's getting big numbers of hits, he can sell the odd advert here and there, be it for a specialist or something else motoring related?

That's what id guess anyway.

[Deva Link]

sider said:

Pressumably Mark's idea is to make the website popular, at his cost, and then when he's getting big numbers of hits, he can sell the odd advert here and there, be it for a specialist or something else motoring related?

That's what id guess anyway.

Well, as Mark owns an indie, who knows what his motives are. He could have been more upfront in his OP - "better for us all" would only be relevant if we all owned garages. He's new, so it could just be self advertising?

Perhaps I'm being too cynical? If so, sorry.

[sider]

Deva Link said:

Well, as Mark owns an indie, who knows what his motives are. He could have been more upfront in his OP - "better for us all" would only be relevant if we all owned garages. He's new, so it could just be self advertising?

Perhaps I'm being too cynical? If so, sorry.

I'd noticed that as well. Who knows! Interesting to see what comes out of this.