Trusted Mechanic in Chicago?

[Mayfair]

My old two German mechanic guys have closed shop and moved away. I now trust nobody with my PRIZED POSSESSION... a dirty dinged-up white '95 Ford Escort wagon. Does anyone here have a good garage or mechanic they can recommend?

[kerble]

Juan used to work at the same school where I taught. He left to become a mechanic full time. Honest and fair, tell 'em Faiz ("fez") sent you.

Juan Gonzalez
Technician

RV Auto Service
foreign and domestic repairs

5331 W. Addison
Chicago, IL 60641
773 544 1411

[toomanyhelicopters]

not that it helps you, mayfair, but since it's so on-topic and it's rare i get a chance to throw this out...

i absolutely LOVE my mechanic. when i moved to DC, the joke was that more than anything else, i hated to give up my mechanic. it's almost true, except for the missing my family and stuff... thing is, he only works on trucks.

the place is called "Thom's Four Wheel Drive", it's on western near addison-ish. Thom is grade-fucking-a awesome. he's the guy who does awesome work, is really personable, and doesn't come close to screwing you.

he's like "well, you could get XYZ fixed now, but you can probably get another 10K miles on it. i'd wait on it if i was you, but if you wanna be real cautious, fix it now".

Thom fucking rules. but he's the truck guy, not the car guy.

[kerble]

actually, thanks Scott.

Juan doesn't have a bed large enough to work on our van, (which is why I recommended the dude for the car) so I'll check your Thom out this weekend and report back.

we could just make this a thread on good mechanics.

it'd be a useful list for poeple travelling to know good mechanics en route.





Faiz

[tmidgett]

albany park auto clinic at 3848 w. lawrence

i use them b/c a fellow named tim hugh works there--i know him through my band and also the seam guys and the mirroramerica guys (read: the koreans). i like tim, and his dad wally owns the shop.

i have only used these guys for a few things, but they just put in a rebuilt transmission in our (for sale) van (it failed just in time). though it still cost plenty, it wasn't as much as it might have been someplace else.

before this transmission definitively took a shit on me, i had the van in for an oil change, and it had a busted side mirror. wally called around, and everyone told him i would have to get an entire assembly (they're automatic mirrors) for, like, 150 bucks or something. so he took the mirror off, schlepped it down to a glass shop, and had them cut a replacement for it. i think it cost me $20. he just did it and told me about it when i came to pick up the van.

anyway, i'm not overly familiar w/them, but i let them put in a new tranny w/o getting a second opinion, so i must feel good about the place

pls tell them i sent you if you go there

tm

[j_harvey]

albany park auto clinic at 3848 w. lawrence

i use them b/c a fellow named tim hugh works there--i know him through my band and also the seam guys and the mirroramerica guys (read: the koreans). i like tim, and his dad wally owns the shop.

Jay Ryan is a big fan of this place. I think they have worked on the Dianogah van and Jay even bought a car from them.

Tim is a good guy.

[Justin from Queens]

anyway, i'm not overly familiar w/them, but i let them put in a new tranny w/o getting a second opinion, so i must feel good about the place

Not this again.

Let's see if I can make it through the day without resorting to my awesome jokes.

Let's just see.

= J

[tmidgett]

anyway, i'm not overly familiar w/them, but i let them put in a new tranny w/o getting a second opinion, so i must feel good about the place

Not this again.

Let's see if I can make it through the day without resorting to my awesome jokes.

Let's just see.

= J

missing a golden opportunity, or some color anyway:

before this transmission definitively took a shit on me

[Justin from Queens]

Tim -

Can you please explain to me clearly why you want to tempt me like that? It's almost inhuman, this restraint that I'm showing.

= Justin

[Bob Weston]

Norm's Auto Clinic on Lincoln way up there by ...what...Peterson?

bob

[John W.]

NORMS AUTOMOTIVE CLINIC INC
5943 N LINCOLN AVENUE, CHICAGO, IL 60659
Phone: (773) 271-2600

I second Bob's recommendation for this place. Norm does a great job.

[chad]

albany park auto clinic at 3848 w. lawrence

i use them b/c a fellow named tim hugh works there--i know him through my band and also the seam guys and the mirroramerica guys (read: the koreans). i like tim, and his dad wally owns the shop.

Jay Ryan is a big fan of this place. I think they have worked on the Dianogah van and Jay even bought a car from them.

Tim is a good guy.

great place! they've done good work on the dianogah bitch wagon at a very reasonable rate. cheap oil changes, too.

[russ]

I go to Norm's. He and his brother, who look alike, are real straight shooters.

While we're on the topic, anyone know of a good body shop?

[Mayfair]

I go to Norm's. He and his brother, who look alike, are real straight shooters.

While we're on the topic, anyone know of a good body shop?

Actually I did just have body work done on my car after I was side-swiped. It went to this shop as they were a preferred shop of the person's insurance company. They did a great job and were very very easy to deal with and fast as well. They seem more of a body shop than a mechanic shop.

C&W Autobody
2626 N. Clybourn
(773)725-6735
Rich is the owner and a very nice guy.

[kerble]

albany park auto clinic at 3848 w. lawrence
...

pls tell them i sent you if you go there

tm

by the by, I had our van worked on by these fine gentlemen back in April before tour. They made sure we were driving a safe vehicle.

I give them the highest praise imaginable. Quick, knowledgeable, friendly and i never once felt like i was being taken.

these hombres rule. thanks for the stellar recommend, Tim!
Our van has not run better.

A+


Faiz

[tipcat]

For Toyota owners, Motor Care across from Waveland Bowl on Western is excellent.

[El Protoolio]

Javier at Gomez Shell. Division and Damen.

773 772 3772

773 486 2110

[Mayfair]

Thanks to all that have replied. I took my car to Norm's on Lincoln this week and he fixed me up in less than a day very cheaply and fixed everything. Nice guys there to boot!.

Thank you for my new trusted car place.

[tipcat]

Gateway Auto at Division and Hoyne is excellent, for all you Ukrainians out there. I was skeptical, but it got good reviews at the Car Talk website and they turned out to be well-founded. A brake line job on my Tercel that was estimated at $700 turned out to be only $530 because they got the parts from a cheaper supplier.

[jayryan]

i strongly recommend wally at albany park auto on lawrence. he has time and time again proven to be the most honest and thorough auto mechanic i've ever worked with. he's a fucking riot, too. i just came from there now, in fact, having dropped off my civic for an oil change and fluids check.

as tim midgett noted, above, wally's son tim also works at the shop and is a regular at the chicago rock shows. i'm actually surprised he's not on this board.

BUT: for a good laugh, check out the sign on the street - it says they do both domestic and foreing cars.