I was thinking that in the Southern California area, there must be hundreds of shops, garages, and individuals working in their own garage, that were potentially doing such good work that they'd be on the lips of every car guy I emailed or texted.
Nope.
Even the shops that I thought would be mentioned, weren't. '
I found that the makers of muscle car suspension upgrades (Hotchkis, QA1, etc etc) don't have a short list of shops they send new prospects to to get into the upgrade stream heading toward muscle car overhauls and track time enjoyment.
Do I have an extensive list of people I could ask? Nope. But I never had the idea that it would be this difficult to learn where to spend money to get a disc brake upgrade, a subframe connector welded in, a full suspension overhaul/upgrade, plus a shop that can do engine work like header installs, and what ever else comes up.
I emailed companies that to their shame, didn't reply. Hey, I get it, they aren't getting paid to waste time recommending garages or businesses that install their products.
BUT, the lack of comradery and helpfulness to a car guy, who is only asking for a recommended shop? Shocking. I didn't ask for a tow, didn't ask to borrow a truck, didn't ask to drive their sports car.
See how in context, asking for a recommendation is really nothing much, just a word of advice sort of thing?
I didn't come up dry, because David in Indiana, and Jimi in Tennessee, and Mike Y in San Diego all had a tip, and one paid off. But I didn't hear from a lot of people that I was thinking would be replying. Hell, doesn't everyone know a garage or mechanic that has a great reputation?
SO, I'm beginning a new thing with my old car, it's a 69 Dodge Coronet R/T, and R/T was the abbreviation for Road and Track. Funny how that magazine Road and Track had that going on since 1947 - and Dodge made some good use of the term. I don't think they acknowledged the rip off, because by abbreviating it, they probably avoided trademark infringement.
Anyway, my road and track car, hasn't been on a road course track ever, never avoided cones, and has only had some drag racing. Well, that sort of unavailable ability, and perpetual storage (I've had it out of the storage garage about once a year for the past 15 years, and the 5 years prior to that it was a more frequent ride, and even was a daily driver when I first bought it in Feb 2022, for 22k, plus 4k in loan interest) is going to change this summer.
I think that's the common thing we all enjoy, the fixing the old car up feeling. First we dream of a cool car, then we eventually get one, then we dream (from the minute of purchase) about fixing it to a very high level of performance ability... because damn it, we watched James Garner throw that Firebird around, and Tom Selleck with that Ferrari, and Schneider and Wopat with the Charger, etc etc.
Those guys had fun with their cars, and we soaked it up. (results may vary, I was born in 71, my formative teenage drive for cool cars was formed on such stuff as what I just mentioned) I grew up as a kid in grade school with the full 70s effect on cars, Keystones and Cragars, slotted mags and sidepipes, van and choppers and Evel Knievel.
So, my 69 R/T is getting upgraded Edelbrock Victor heads, headers, QA1 front suspension, steering, Wilwood disc brakes, new tires and rims to fit over those 14" disc brakes and some rubber that is decently soft for great traction. It won't be competitive, because I can't afford that level of crazy. I can afford to use that credit card, and savings from working 2 years of overtime, and live a little instead of waiting for someday.
Not sure about where you love, but around me the best way to find a small shop or a mechanic who does side work on cars at home, is going to shows or cruise ins and asking, or by joining some facebook groups for that kind of car or FB groups for car guys in your area.
ReplyDeleteI have a fake FB profile that I use only to join car groups.
they can be a great resource for finding parts and for information about how to fix something.
San Diego. Oh, I've been to every car show in town, and every cruise. Just not in the past couple years. Since 2020, I haven't been to many events even. But, tomorrow is the El Cajon cruise, Thursday is the La Mesa cruise, I think, and Friday is the season beginning for the Escondido cruise.
DeleteIf you look back at the calendar I used to make and post, you'll see how many events I went to, especially in 2009-2013. By 2014 I'd realized how many miles I was racking up on the car, and decided to spend more time online and spend less on gas and oil changes. I was putting about 22k a year. I still live in the same area, and only drive about 6k a year now. Just from not going to every car show in Southern California.
Hmmm, I did find one shop, and that was the one that I thought I'd get to do everything, but they were the one that treated my car so bad (2 years ago, you might remember I had to take them to court, I won)
My back up shop was and is the Dyno Shop, but they don't specialize in making autocross cars from muscle cars. I figure it's inmy best future goals to become a customer of the shop that does the stuff to the cars like I want mine to be. If you want a good haircut, get a barber as a friend, right?
So, yeah, I've been to all the car cruises, shows, events, gatherings, even the car club council meeting, the low rider car club council meeting, the restaurant and malt shop cruise ins (not a cruise, just a coffee and donuts thing) but that isn't where the autocross people bring their cars.
So I went to the Optima Challenge the past 8 times it happened (not in 2020) and the Run to the Coast at El Toro (posted about all of these)
And I am a member of the B Body, and the Super Bee and Coronet facebook pages, pro-touring, and the tow trucks, street vans, and a bunch of other facebook pages. Street machines, drag racing, bunches of them.
But none of them had a recommendation.
I kid you not.
So then I emailed the USCA, SCCA, Optima Jim, then David, who got a golden ticket invitation to the Optima Challenge this year, and heck, I'd have him do the work because he works at a great shop, but he's in Indiana. Then I got ahold of Mike Y who I've known since 95, and he took a 65 Mustang and made a cone killer out of it about 2011. I've posted it. Mike recommended the shop that's a whole lot richer now, the owner is a racer, and a builder, and Mike's been racing with him for about a decade.
It took a lot more effort on my part than I figured it would. I thought people, a LOT of people, would KNOW someone or some shop around here.
Hitting the smaller cuize in's might net you bigger results. I know very few people who pay out for most of the work you're looking to have done, rather we wrench it ourselves and know there weren't any short cuts taken. Nothing wrong with paying out, I help out my neighbor who claims he has 2 left hands and can't hold a wrench.....two weeks ago I found his lawn mower blades on his rider were installed upside down.....he installed them. LOL!!
ReplyDeleteI have hit all the cruises in town, and I can prove that by saying, hey, I posted photos of them all... right here on the blog.
DeleteI'll be at more this year, as after a couple years of going to every car event, there isn't anything new to see. After years go by, finally some people have new cars to bring, new things to see, and I'm an example of that... I haven't brought my 69 Dodge to a cruise in a decade. After these upgrades, I'll be able to drive it safely, with a new brake system, new radiator, and new tires.
20 year old tires are not safe, and they have simply kept my old Dodge off the garage floor.
I wish you guys had more faith in my efforts to find guys that have shops, that have autocross upgraded their cars, etc.
From what you mention, I'm not getting the feeling that my ability to fix my own stuff is justified by my outsourcing a complete front end replacement, brake system replacement, heads port matched and replaced, and headers replaced.
Not only am I in a tiny garage that requires my car to be rolled forward just to open the tool box drawers, I can't open the doors either.
So, since there's no lift in my garage, and I can't drop the k member, that's something I must outsource.
We wrench ourselves.
Yes, when we can. When we can't, we outsource. I don't have a welder, a lift, or an air compressor. I can and have done a LOT with hand tools, but a floor jack and jack stands and no space - that's not good for a k member and engine drop. How the hell can a guy then get the engine off the K Member?
Anyway, I've posted on the work I did on my previous 69 Coronet, it was a Super Bee, I posted what I did to my 72 Demon, my 71 Challenger, my 72 Barracuda and the previous 21 years of things I've done to this 69 R/T.
That's a dang shame that your neighbor didn't look at the blade on that lawnmower, and think about the process of it spinning and cutting grass, and realize how it must be orientated to work right.
hell, I used to be a tire mount and balance guy too, but I don't have that equipment in my tiny garage, and have to outsource that and watch some other guy do that for me too. I'm not bothered by watching other people do things I can do, but haven't got the expensive equipment necessary for such things.
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