Whilst my car has always been serviced by one of our reliable specalists, I really need to find a local garage which I can trust for smaller jobs - can anyone recommend one near South Manchester??

I have previously seen a coupe in for servicing at the Bridge Motor Company garage in West Didsbury (really convenient!) and also seen an Alpine in there - anyone got any experience of this place?

I'm upgrading my shocks, springs and rear ARB in the next couple of weeks and it would be great if there was a local garage who could be trusted to do it properly...

Normally I would go to Motormech, but due to availability of bookings and my work committments, I might not get it done for nearly three months :o)

Why not got to Wigan Paul, he's only up the East Lancs?

I'll second that.

Though someone will be along to go "No No No" in a minute

Wigan Paul is good - knows the car pretty much inside out and did a decent job on mine the couple of times I took it there.

IIRC the people who had problems there found they happened when he wasn't working on the car (ie someone who doesn't know the car as well as he does was working on it).

Nope, i know someone who had problems with this garage!!
Only one i would trust is Howard at Allitalia near Wrexham, so not far from Graham C.
With Howard, you get no BS, just great servicing, and he has all the FCR including the rare handheld one for on the road diagnostics!! He will even lend you a loan car whilst yours is being serviced/fixed. I cannot recommend him high enough. His prices are more then competitive, for example, Cambelt, tensioners, aux belts and water pump, £380 all inclusive for genuine parts, and labour for a 20VT.
http://www.italia.org.uk/

Andy.

Sorry, wont go to Wigan Paul's place - they really pi55ed me off when I asked them to run a diagnostic and then replace no. 4 injector if it showed up as faulty (left it with them whilst I went to the World Cup for a couple of days :D)

I knew it was faulty, they cleared the fault using the computer and said the car was running fine, but within 10 miles of me picking it up, the misfire was back (turns out they'd simply left the thing idleing for a couple of hours - NOT somthing I consider good for my car...)

They then told me they could not fit me in for another week and a half to replace the injector - not great service considering they failed to do what I asked and I'd been taking my car there for about 4 years...

I changed the faulty injector myself - took me all of 20mins (my first attempt) and I've never been back since (TBH the injector was the last straw - service is sometimes on a par with Fiat)

I've been to Howards place before, good place, just a bit of a pain getting there (actually easier to go to Brum and work in my employers Brum office...)

But if it's only for smaller jobs, which is what you want, then is it a problem?

Must say, it has been over 5 years since I went, it was when I had my first coupe...

I want my new Bilstein's, Eibach's and rear ARB fitted!

Looks like I am off to Motormech....

Plague and avoid come to mind when the above foremost option is mentioned...

Spend the time and go to iceberg. well worth the money and want cost too much in petrol if you slipstream some van at 60-70mph

I go to Motormech for all my work now...

Shame about some of the bad vibes for Wigan Paul, he always did a sterling job on my 1st Coupe, but then, it was always him that did the work...

You've seen a van going that slowly?

Did you get his reg number, he must have been drunk!

Perhaps it wasn't white...

I think it was a black or very dark grey one i was doing it to yesterday stan Aka clarkson stylee

Ah, I know that one, he's been warned before about driving so slowly. Brings van driving into disrepute

BTW, it is white, it just hasn't been washed for three years........a bit like me really

LOL Class matey, with all those waterfalls in the lakes you'd think you would have washed by now when its FOC

Ah... but have you washed your truncheon lately?

Andy.

Get back on topic quick before t'internet polis catch us........

If I lived in Manc, I'd be trundling down the M6 to Motormech, end of story.

Yep, I am off to Motormech - I wanted to know if there was a reputable Manchester garage cos Paul cant book me in until 16th April

I'm off work the week before and have work committments for about beginning on the 16th (will be out on Client sites every day) which basically means I wont get chance to get the work done until about mid May when I can arrange a day working in the company's Birmingham office...

Ask if another forum member can swap for a day the week before at all?

I used to live in West Didsbury and Bridge motor company was at the end of my road. I never had any problems there and although they weren't the cheapest, the work was always excellent. I did not have my coupe then, just a volvo. I would use them again though for the basic stuff. I have just booked my coupe in at allItalia in Wrexham for a full service and brakes. I found tham to be closer than Motormech from Manchester and you can also get a courtesy car if you need one. Booked in for 16th April. Full service is £170-£185 depending on spark plugs etc and front pads and discs are £200 with vat inc. I'll let you know how i get on.

Erm good luck personally think your mad not to take it to Paul

did you go to the place in didsbury in the end? Just interested to see what sort of job they did.

I've booked into a small garage in Hale next Weds to have the brakes looked at. They come highly recommended and as its a one man outfit I like the fact that I know who'll be working on the car.

Obviously for big jos and servicing I'll still be off down to Motormech as usual, but it would be great to find someone local and reliable who can sort out any small issues that don't warrant taking a day's holiday to head off down the M6.

I used to go to Wigan Paul's for smaller jobs, but will not be going back there again after the mare I've had when I used them in the last two weeks. Just don't trust them anymore!

Will let you know how I get on with the new garage!

Please keep us updated Andy, I still dont know a reputable garage in Manchester and with my new job, working from Brimingham is no longer an option (and I aint got enough holiday to take days off for car servicing!)

How very true. After the fiasco I had when I smashed the suspension during the Big Lakes Meet, I won't be using them again - period. It's a shame really as they're literally on my doorstep but the trust has gone and is very unlikely to return.

Back on topic, I've been using a local, family run Service Centre for any little jobs and they've been superb. Still going to MotorMech for anything else though.

Got my car back from the Garage in Hale. Squeaking sound turned out to be just a metal plate behind the brakes rather than the shocks as James Twist thought (and replaced).

Seemed like nice guys who worked there and Gary the guy who owns the garage was very chatty. They seem to work on a whole variety of cars, and while I was there they had an Audi TT, Jaguar and Mini Cooper in the shop. When I mentioned about the Coupe's brakes squeaking he seemed to know about the problem from having worked on Coupe's before.

Anyway if anyone else wants to give them a go then their details are: Byrom St Garage, Byrom St, Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 2EL, Tel: 0161 928 8203 (speak to Gary).

Will still be off for Birmingham for major works and servicing, but if anything niggling pops up before my next service will probably use this garage again.

Humm, perhaps he can cure my squealing brakes

Cheers for the info Andy