Gem-Car: Automotive Repair & Tire Shop Management: Fill & Download for Free

Here’s an article we wrote in our shop newsletter that has some pretty good tips. The only thing I can think of not on the list is to try to avoid shops that pay their Service Advisers on commission. Commission compensation sets up an inherent conflict of interest… even someone trying to be honest always has the background motivation of building their paycheck. It’s increasingly difficult to find non-commission shops, but well worth your search. Other than that, here are some pretty good ideas. Some are pretty obvious, but I think you’ll find them all useful…Tips on finding a quality auto shopWe believe that Tom Dwyer Automotive Services offers the highest quality automotive repair and maintenance in the Portland area, and that we offer advice and recommendations you can trust for your long-term vehicle needs. The question is, if you find yourself moving to a new city or broken down somewhere in the great flyover areas of the country, how would you find a shop you can trust? Here are some simple tips if you should ever find yourself having to find a substitute for Tom Dwyer Automotive…Ask for referrals from friends or locals– The best way to get the lowdown on a shop is to ask real people who have really used their service. Nothing beats someone who can tell you what it’s like to talk with the people, whether they had their service done right, whether they had a gut feeling they were being deceived, or even if the bathrooms were clean. The best thing is that you don’t just have to listen to them and then move on, you can ask questions until you get exactly the info you want. And, you know how much you can trust the person giving you the advice.Ask the senior counter person at the auto parts store– We’re not talking about the highest level manager you can find, we mean the most senior counter person there- the one who actually knows the shops in town. Auto parts stores deal with all the area’s repair shops at one time or another and they at least know the reputations of the ones they don’t deal with. The experienced counter people have seen shops come and go, know how each one operates, and can direct you to the one that best suits your needs. Do you have a newer vehicle you want to keep forever? A beater you’re trying to limp along for another 3 months? Maybe a one-of-a-kind gem that needs special attention? Auto parts professionals will know where to send you.Use internet reviews like Angie’s list or Yelp- If you can’t get the in-person recommendation you want, the intertubes are here to help. There are referral sites of all kinds on the web, and two of our favorites are Angie’s List and Yelp. Angie’s List is one of the largest review/recommendation sites, and has an excellent reputation for unbiased reviews on almost any product or service provider you can imagine. The only drawback is that it is a paid membership site, so it will cost you to get their information. Yelp is similar to Angie’s, but it’s free. Both offer you the chance to read reviews or post your own on products or services you’ve used, and both offer 1-to-5 star ratings of each provider based on price, quality, and other factors. Remember, whichever provider you choose, please consider writing and posting a review for them. Remember, just as you’re interested in other people’s opinions to bolster your decision, other people care about your opinions.Check BBB (Better Business Bureau) reports- The BBB has a reputation for unbiased advice that goes back decades. With today’s sites like Angie’s List and Yelp, the BBB has become a little less important as a reference but it’s still very relevant. It doesn’t have the reviews that Angie’s or Yelp has, but its advantages are that it scans databases of pending Government actions, lists any disputes pending with the BBB, and has a review of the company’s advertising.Make sure a shop is organized, equipped, and well staffed– This is a thing best checked in-person. An auto shop doesn’t have to look like a hospital surgical suite, but auto repair and maintenance are technical tasks that benefit from some degree of cleanliness and organization. Look for some balance that makes you feel confident.The parking lot should not resemble a wrecking yard and you should see vehicles of similar year and condition to the vehicle you want serviced. The office can have some clutter, but avoid one with only one desk buried under tons of yellowing paper. (While you’re at it, make sure there’s at least ONE computer and that the invoices are not hand written. Today’s vehicles are overwhelmingly computer-driven, as are many of the techniques to determining functional problems and their solutions. A shop can’t provide competent repair any longer without near-constant computer access.) The shop itself is a working environment so you can count on seeing some tools and parts lying around, but make sure rusted hulks of dead cars or stacks of odd parts aren’t cluttering the work areas. Finally, it’s difficult to imagine a quality shop anymore with only one person running everything. Look for a shop with at least two or three office staff and several certified technicians.Look for the shops certifications and credentials– Certifications give you assurances that a shop and its personnel are qualified to provide the services they’re selling. ASE Certifications (from the National Society of Automotive Service Excellence) are the gold standard in the industry for both shops and staff. Technicians and Service Advisors both have to pass tests to be ASE Certified, and with extensive knowledge, experience, and more testing they can move on to the ASE Master Certified level. A shop should have at least one Master Tech and the others as Certified Technicians.. The shop itself can also be certified– look for the “ASE Blue Seal of Excellence Facility” designation to be sure. Only a select few shops qualify for this certification; in fact there are only 13 Blue Seal shops within 12 miles of Portland.Make sure there is a great warranty– No matter how good a shop is, things occasionally go wrong. Make sure the shop has a comprehensive local warranty that will take care of you if things do go bad. I would expect a minimum of a 12 month / 12,000 mile warranty and many shops are moving to 18 /18 or 24 / 24 warranties. A national warranty program is also available to smaller shops; ask about it.Begin with a small service to test the waters– Once you’ve found a shop you feel good about, if possible , try them out with small simple repairs or services before you trust them with expensive or complex ones. An oil change or minor interval mileage service are jobs that could give you a look at their customer service style and attention to detail while giving you a taste of their repair process. Look for good communication, solid estimates and completion times. Make sure they won’t perform any work without your informed consent. If after testing the waters you feel they’ve performed and treated you well, then you can go to them for the major interval service or timing belt job you’ve been putting off.Remember, this is just a summary of methods and things to watch for. These tips won’t guarantee that you find a shop that is 100% every time and you’ll be happy with, but the information might help you weed out some of the places you wouldn’t want anything to do with. Good luck on your hunt for a new trusted automotive professional!

Background: I own a 2003 NB MX-5 Miata. I’ve never been on a racetrack with it, but enjoy “spirited drives” in the country.The MX-5 is not a “fast” car in a straight line. It relies heavily on its cornering ability to truly be quick. Once you get a feel for the car, don’t be afraid to push its limits. With good tires, the MX-5 is a very capable car in the corners.The MX-5 has 50/50 weight distribution, making it perfectly balanced. The quickest way to drive is to “trail brake” into the corner, that is, stay on the brakes even as you enter the corner. This keeps weight on the front wheels and reduces understeer. Then as you reach the apex, give it some throttle, and this will plant the back end, and help rotate the car through the corner.Keep the revs up. Particularly on the 1.6 liter NA Miatas, these engines love to rev. They make decent power in the low-mid range, but really come alive after 4500RPM. This is especially true of the later NBs with variable valve timing (VVT.) If you can, plan your gear selection to keep the engine up there in the power band. Don’t drop below 3000–3500RPM in a performance driving situation. And don’t worry about stressing the engine, these engines can take a lot of abuse! If you’re driving it on a race course frequently however, you would be wise to invest in some upgrades. As I am not a racer, I cannot advise you on precisely which ones would be the best for a particular racing style though.The MX-5 is a great car for driving quickly as an amateur. It is a very “connected” car and you know exactly what it is doing at any given time. This makes it incredibly forgiving. As I have mentioned before in other answers, it is VERY hard to get into trouble in an MX-5 unless you are just pushing the car entirely too hard. Come into a corner too fast? Stab the throttle and the back end will kick out predictable and smoothly, and carry you around the corner.Tips as a Daily Driver:I daily drive my NB MX-5 in the spring, summer, and fall months when there is no salt on the road, and here are a few tips to keep in mind when using these gems as a daily driver, especially for someone like myself, who daily drove a full-size four-door pickup truck for years.Limited cargo space. The trunk on my NB is only 11″ deep. Anything taller than that will not fit into the truck. Cubic-foot-wise, the trunk is approximately 5 cubic feet. To put things in perspective, a Smart ForTwo has a 7.8 cubic foot storage area. The trunk on these cars is remarkably compact, but it is still incredible how much stuff you can fit in one if needed. I have packed for a weekend with two people in the car and fit everything I needed to, but it was tight. If you really get a pinch, you can think of the trunk itself as a suitcase. There is also custom luggage available for the MX-5 that will help conserve space.Limited interior space. I am 6′1″, and about 190 pounds. I would not want to be much taller to comfortably drive this car. I am 100% comfortable when driving, but if I was an inch taller, or 20 pounds heavier, I don’t know if I could say the same. That being said, there are things you can do such as removing foam from the seat, removing the dead pedal, and more, that can help. I have seen 6′4″ guys driving Miatas in my local Miata club. With the convertible top up, my head touches the ceiling, but only just. The cupholders are also ill-placed for large cups. Forget about brining a 40oz Big Gulp in a Miata. Even if it fits, you won’t be able to shift easily. Even finding a safe place to put your phone in the car can be tricky. This is something that takes some getting used to, but is easily remedied by selecting smaller cups, or bottles work great. There is a great place between the seats and the rear deck of the car that is a great place to shove a sealed bottle (but don’t try it with a cup!) The NA Miatas had cup holders that were even more difficult to work with. NC and ND Miatas are slightly better, and offer more cubbies and places to store small items in them. Additionally, the NC and ND accommodates taller people slightly better than previous generations.Loud. These cars have very little insulation, and a convertible top, making them VERY noisy on the highway. I have clocked mine with a decibel meter at close to 90dB on the highway with the top and windows up. I actually wear earplugs on long highway trips to protect my hearing, but this may be overkill for many. Again, this is something you will get used to, and with some background noise such as the radio or a good conversation, you will quickly forget about the noise. Ditto with the convertible top down. Due to the Miata having low doors and a short windshield, the Miata gives you an open-air feel that is difficult to replicate in many roadsters. You won’t notice the wind noise!Incredibly easy to park. These cars are small, turn on a dime, and have great visibility, particularly with the top down. You can park them nearly anywhere, which makes them a great city car.Even as a manual, these make a GREAT daily driver. The clutch is light, preventing leg and foot fatigue, and has one of the best gearboxes available in a sports car. Nearly anyone can learn to drive manual fairly easily on one of these cars, though they can be had in an automatic if needed. But don’t be intimidated by the manual. The gearbox in these cars is literally legendary among automotive circles.These cars are incredibly easy and inexpensive to maintain and repair. Parts are readily available, and you can customize your Miata in a plethora of ways to make it your own. There are very few components on these little cars that are expensive or hard to find. Tires generally cost less than $100 each, even for good ones, and a full brake job can be done at home for a couple hundred bucks with pads and rotors.Incredibly fun to drive. When the weather is nice, I actually look forward to my commute. Even in heavy city traffic, the “connectedness” you feel in this car has to be experienced to be understood. You feel as if you are part of the car, not just someone manipulating the car. If your commute involves some twisty roads, then hands down a Miata will make you fall in love with it in no time.This gives some tips for driving the Miata in two very different environments. Hope this answered your question!

Bodega -- Possibly the best beer selection of any bar in town. Their bottle list is staggering, and includes top-tier beers from all over the world, including some that are typically very hard to find in the US. They also keep excellent beers on draft all year round (the Old Rasputin Imperial Stout Nitro is a personal favorite that they never take off tap). There are 50 on draft, and they are all half-off between 4pm and 8pm. Their food, while expensive, is of fine-dining quality, and the specialty dishes created by their head chef Marcus never fail to impress.Nida's Thai on High -- This place has blown me away every time I have been there. Essentially everything on the menu is good, but the "signature dishes" in particular are spectacular. They also have some incredible cocktails. Nida's only takes reservations in person, though, so take this into account if you plan to go on a Friday or Saturday night.Evans' Auto Repair -- Very honest management, and highly competent mechanics. Hands down the best shop I have found in town for basic automotive services. My car required a complete overhaul of the suspension and breaks last year, and Evans' did all the work in one day for less than half the labor price quoted to me by the dealership. And I can't stress this enough: It's run by really good, honest people. They do really high-quality work, and won't overcharge you for any of their services.Diaspora -- It's not fancy, but their sushi easily matches if not surpasses that of Haiku, Sushi Rock, or Two Fish at a substantially lower price relative to proportion size. While this is more of a lunch place than anything else, Diaspora makes perhaps the most impressive specialty sushi rolls in town.The Columbus Symphony -- So Columbus actually has a phenomenal symphony. Who knew? The music selection couldn't be better. I've heard movements here so beautiful they have brought tears to my eyes. Oh, and the best part: for students, tickets are dirt cheap.