"Back Street" garages

[Pondy]

I use a tiny "back Street" garage to service and MOT my Z4 and Mazda (they can't do the 440 as don't have the i-drive computer software unfortunately).

They are absolutely fantastic. Just one mechanic and his mum who does the office stuff and helps him out with two-handed stuff (!).
They are dirt cheap at around £45 per hour (no VAT) and don't overcharge on materials.
No coffee machine, no free wifi (no nothing actually), just a great garage.
Fantastically well organised, I just ring them, give reg number and all is sorted including knowing my contact details. Communication is brilliant; the mum rang me yesterday when the Z4 was in, to say the car wasn't ready as they were running a little behind (we agreed on 4pm pick up previously). She then rang an hour later to say it was ready and she would wait for me to get there as it was nearly 5pm by then.

I asked them to do the brake fluid aswell as it hasn't been done for at least 3 years. They said they would do a 'test' on the fluid and only change if it was necessary. BMW or 'specialist' indies don't do that, they just change it.

I wonder if there are many of these 'back street' gems left in the UK? Anybody else got one?

CC41 Motors in Spalding btw. 10/10

 

[Scubaregs]

Lived on the same street as one growing up. My father used them and I did as well first, with a bike at 17, then cars a few years later.
They have had my business for nearly 43 years, only the Porsche and the G29 have not gone to them as were under warranty. Once my service inclusive runs out I'd be happy to give them the G29 too for most jobs. Sandy the owner is in his 80's now and only retired a few years back. Still there quite a bit though.

 

[plenty]

The key to what makes this special is the mum.

IME excellent mechanics tend to not be great at customer service (or are simply too busy working on cars) and comms is often poor with these types of outfits. And as it's mum she's invested in the business as opposed to a part-time receptionist watching the clock.

 

[Nictrix]

Lived on the same street as one growing up. My father used them and I did as well first, with a bike at 17, then cars a few years later.
They have had my business for nearly 43 years, only the Porsche and the G29 have not gone to them as were under warranty. Once my service inclusive runs out I'd be happy to give them the G29 too for most jobs. Sandy the owner is in his 80's now and only retired a few years back. Still there quite a bit though.

Was that Central Garage?
If it was Sandy is a great guy, right into his bikes too.

 

[Pondy]

The key to what makes this special is the mum.

IME excellent mechanics tend to not be great at customer service (or are simply too busy working on cars) and comms is often poor with these types of outfits. And as it's mum she's invested in the business as opposed to a part-time receptionist watching the clock.

Maybe. I am a miserable barsteward these days (ask the wife), so it's nice to see a company not just out to make as much money as they can with minimal effort, as is so often the case lately. I deal with companies (sub contractors) for work every day of the week whose only objective is to make lots of money, with very little regard to doing anything of any use, or of quality.

 

[Scubaregs]

Lived on the same street as one growing up. My father used them and I did as well first, with a bike at 17, then cars a few years later.
They have had my business for nearly 43 years, only the Porsche and the G29 have not gone to them as were under warranty. Once my service inclusive runs out I'd be happy to give them the G29 too for most jobs. Sandy the owner is in his 80's now and only retired a few years back. Still there quite a bit though.

Was that Central Garage?
If it was Sandy is a great guy, right into his bikes too.

Was indeed.

 

[Mr Tidy]

You're lucky to have found somewhere like that Andrew.

 

[markplant]

The BMW indy I first used, was like that in the sense of would test brake fluid to determine if it needed changing, and if a job was done quicker than expected you paid for that amount of time. If it took longer you only paid for the amount of time it should have taken. They are not all bad

 

[Nictrix]

Lived on the same street as one growing up. My father used them and I did as well first, with a bike at 17, then cars a few years later.
They have had my business for nearly 43 years, only the Porsche and the G29 have not gone to them as were under warranty. Once my service inclusive runs out I'd be happy to give them the G29 too for most jobs. Sandy the owner is in his 80's now and only retired a few years back. Still there quite a bit though.

Was that Central Garage?
If it was Sandy is a great guy, right into his bikes too.

Was indeed.

We use them for our vans, it was Sandy himself that serviced mine the last time it was in.
Had a good gab about bikes, he still has an SP1 that he rides on good days.

 

[Scubaregs]

I remember he had an early R1 and built an underseat exhaust for it.

 

[Nictrix]

I remember he had an early R1 and built an underseat exhaust for it.

Years and years ago he was on a run with us and half a dozen other R1s, he had a 2005 red R1 at the time.
We were going to Skye. He left with an almost bald rear tyre and was going to get it changed in Inverness.
He got stopped by the cops in Inverness just before getting it changed and fined for it.
We thought it was kinda funny as he wasn't short of a bob and things like that just weren't a priority.