Can anyone recommend a trustable/honest mechanic in Mississauga? Plus results

dualquadpete · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

RE: Can anyone recommend a trustable/honest mechanic in Mississauga? Plus results

mike667 · Poncho Master!

Brian I sent you a PM

DualquadPete- I knew the windshield would have to be changed. He had the glass guy next door, which I said was okay to do if thats all it was needed and the horn to be fixed. Thats what I was told from the previous mechanic.
The last mechanic I took it too (which was an hour away) had told me, the horn, and tires, and some bulbs, that's it. I didn't know about the other problems until this guy had said them. Then when I asked if he could show me them, his response was "the car is already outside". No brake problems. There is a problem with the foot brake. If you put it on it stays on. It won't release.
Furthermore, most of the glass guys there were dip****s too. Because 2 guys couldn't care a less and didn't want to do it in the first place. 1 guy there tried to help me out, and I guess his 'boss'. Told him 'your not doing a 68' in front of me.
Plus he says it leaks out of the exhaust pipes. Me and carl had this discussion. The car has been sitting almost a year. Its water plus crap, not oil.
The bad crunching noise as they say. We (us and a couple of other people) beleive its the turn signal cancel cam.

I understand what you are saying though, and I respect that. But
1)Even IF there are major problems, just list, them, don't put my car down like that. I didn't call his kids ****heads.
2) Atleast show me the problems.I told him, I could wait there or give me a call at home, I will come by, I am only 4 minutes away.
3) Don't tell me take it to a resto shop, they can deal with it.
4) don't tell me good luck on finding the parts. Even the windshield guy said can't find it. (however, the one that tried to help me called the source and they had it)
5) When I bring my car there, don't talk to the other guy behind my back, when I can hear you
6) When I pay money for a tow, that he knew, and then complains about where to park it. 1 Guy complaing about what side its going on. The other guy complaining not to park it beside his car. In front of me. Looks to me that was real profession service!

However, the remarks on the sheet is what pissed me off the most. I bet any money, any money, that if this car hate his little honda, it would still crush it like a pop can!

I can try and take pictures if you guys want. But I don't have a hoist to lift it and take them.

-- Edited by mike667 on Tuesday 26th of January 2010 04:49:15 PM

-- Edited by mike667 on Tuesday 26th of January 2010 04:50:47 PM

-- Edited by mike667 on Tuesday 26th of January 2010 04:51:16 PM

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-- Edited by mike667 on Tuesday 26th of January 2010 05:00:08 PM

-- Edited by mike667 on Tuesday 26th of January 2010 05:09:07 PM

mike667 · Poncho Master!

Here are some pictures I tried to take today.

dualquadpete · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Mike, don't get me wrong, I agree 100% that they treated you unfair in their attitude & no customer should be spoken to that way!!! Your 1st mechanic overlooked alot of things from what I can see in pictures, looks like frt sprgs. have collapsed as uppr c/arm is bottomed out on rubbers, rear trailing arms look like they are rubbing on frame? & the fuel & brake lines are not far from rotting through + holes in the floor!! I would be talking to the manager or owner of garage & give them a "blast" as you likely won't be going back there & also call better business bureau & lodge a complaint!!! IMO this car is a "LONG WAY from being able to be certified with out alot of $$$ being spent, from past experience as a service manager of a few dealerships before I got out of that trade!!!!

mike667 · Poncho Master!

Thank you, I respect honesty. I am willing to pay, depending on the price, to get the car certified. I just don't want to be a) taken and b) talked to like the car was a piece of junk. the car is 40 years old, what do they expect.
Thank you, That's all I wanted, was an honest answer.How much would you think I would have to pay dualquad? I just wanted a list, like what you just did. Not to be told piece of ****, this car is ****ed... and so on.

59poncho · Poncho Master!

If you have the patience, alot of this stuff you can do yourself (i did, and im just learning myself). cheap things like useing a drill with a wire wheel to clean up all those sufaces, find out where all the holes are. Putting in new springs is not too hard, i did it in my little garage, just ask how to do it before a spring comes flying out at ya!! Clean it all up, paint it up, then do the brake lines and such, everyone on here had to learn it from somebody, but now with the net its a little easier and we can all help, they have helped me sooo much. Dont worry about asking stupid questions, there is none!!! (and ive already asked them!!LOL)

mike667 · Poncho Master!

Have the patience, just have to get some tools. I have a small garage as well. But maybe can give it a try. I do have the owners manual.
Just have to look for parts, the tools will make up for the cost of labour.

I just need a bodyman to weld the holes? I wonder if I can strip the carpet and take out the seats, save on some costs. But don't know where to go for that.

59poncho · Poncho Master!

I took out the seats and carpet, and then welded the small little holes with a wire feed welder i got somewhere. Princess auto has them pretty cheap, and maybe someone on here that is close to you can help you out when it comes time to weld. Or, if you get it all cleaned up and prepped, you might be able to get in touch with some local welders that can come to your place and do it for ya. Dont be afraid to try stuff yourself, you might screw it up once or twice, but you will learn to do it. You dont need that many tools either, and what you dont have, borrow. I have found the more you can do yourself, the more rewarding it is to own an old car, and to say i did that, you will appreciate it more.

dualquadpete · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I've been out of the trade for awhile, but some of you guys are at dealers & garages, what's the going rate for an inspection now?? What they chaged "ol Mikey" here seems to me to be [shall we say ] a little HIGH or am I out in left field. Didn't see any mention of brakes other than emm. not releasing & light on dash, Did they pull all the wheels??? Also they should have called Mike into shop to show him what's wrong, not put it outside & say "to bad" it's outside now!!! The more I read this, the more PISSED off I get, There's got to be away to bring this to someone's att. Maybe the Toronto Star Wheels section ???, letter to the editor???

59poncho · Poncho Master!

thats a good idea pete, the wheels section. My brothers a mechanic and i told him about this and he was pissed too. I think the garage needs to be aware that this is not right. I dont know what a garage charges for a safety anymore (i got mine from a good friend) but i think Mike should be able to fix most things himself and then get a safety from another garage.

dualquadpete · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

I thought?? a safety was around $60 to do the inspection & report back if it didn't pass, or if it passes, they write out the certification?? $100 bucks seems excessive to me!!!!!

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

It's $95 where I work. I still say try to get it to Tiny's for some of the repairs. I'm sure he'll cut you some sort of "Canadian Poncho Deal". He loves old cars and treats them with the respect they deserve!

dualquadpete · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Mike, on repairs like your car needs, I don't think you'll find a person to quote you a flate rate price for repairs. You"ll probably be quoted a P/hr. charge with an estimate of how many hours. I say "estimate" because they can't commit to a set time ,re rust, what you find opening it up, etc. Best way is to agree on so many hrs. & then have work stop. untill money is available, or if they find a "can of worms" before that, stop before your in over your head or in more than the cars worth!!!! Now comes the hard part, finding an HONEST shop that will take on the job!!! One other thing, I think you should take that inspection sheet to the MOT or DOT & show them what they wrote on it, could cost the garage their Inspection Lic. if you yell loud enough on the treatment you got + notify the Wheels as said before!!!

mike667 · Poncho Master!

I paid 90 for the written thing plus 60 for the tow.

Maybe Tiny should check out some of the pictures, maybe he can put some input in before I do anything else with it.

I don't even know what parts it needs. They say bushing fell out. new control arm. Well what side, drivers side? upper/lower?

427carl · A Poncho Legend!

Mike: the suspension needs to be checked out, and the "immediate broken" things repaired..
The floor can be repaired to make it a nice driver. If you do things, like taking out the seats and carpet etc
If you can buy the parts, lets hope we can find a 'real honest guy/ guys in your area to help..
What part of Toronto do you live in?...
Is the car in your name, and do you have insurance? I was thinking you could get a 10 day permit or perhaps someone would volunteer some assistance to get it to a safe working place????

mike667 · Poncho Master!

Appreciate the help Carl
I live close to Tenth Line and Thomas in Mississauga.
I don't mind buying the parts or even paying for some labour, I just need a list on what parts I need to get.

The ministry will not give me a permit because the car is not certified/safetied. Hence why I kept towing it everywhere. But yes, the car is in my name.

Insurance I believe wants an appraisal done first. I was waiting for the appraisal until the windshield was changed.

I was also thinking that if someone close by, wanted to come over and could take a look at the car, and let me know what they think. that is fine as well. I will pull the car out. I just don't have a car jack either to jack it up though.

-- Edited by mike667 on Wednesday 27th of January 2010 09:00:51 PM

mike667 · Poncho Master!

Okay folks. Went out in the -12 weather decided to take a look at the car. I no scared.
Took a part of the carpet out. and found this hole.
Please let me know what you think. It seems to be solid under the black sticky matting?? Should I pull it off and take more pics? would I have to put on back right away because it cracks and comes off in peices, that black stuff. I would take the bench seat out to get more pics, but dont know what to do after that. need some advice. send it out or what?? It seems the areas with the black stuff on it are solid, pretty much the areas that were exposed have the rust like that. Would have pulled the bench out anyway and stripped it, but if the house owner saw me, he would probably kick me out evileye

dualquadpete · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Mike is that the only hole in floor or are there more?? If that's the only one a quick fix is to cut a "patch piece of metal} & pop rivit it over the hole & use some sealer when doing it. If there's more holes than that & they are larger, your going to have to strip out the interior. I'd worry about the mechanical fixes 1st, to see how the parts are available & cost before you get into this, you might have to put more into the car than what's it's worth, but that's what you have to decide on, sounds like your not allowed to work on car at your place & you don't want the "landlord" [owner] kicking you out, or you'll really have a problem!!! Wish I could help, but my garage is taken up with my project. Your in a tough spot , if you don't have anyplace to work on the car!!!!

mike667 · Poncho Master!

No, the owner just gets a little worried, since its his first rental property. Should be okay, aslong as I don't go to deep.

I will strip the interior and take a look for any more. On the sheet, it says hole on passenger side. So that may be the one. Can I remove that black sticky stuff though? Do I have to replace it right away.

If I knew what parts I needed, I will search, but I don't know what parts are needed? if its lower upper control arms, etc.etc. because I know scrapyards in the states that sell somestuff, as well as some new parts as well, but again, I don't know what it mechanically needs?

-- Edited by mike667 on Friday 29th of January 2010 09:13:27 PM

mike667 · Poncho Master!

I have found lower control arms for the rear. Specially made for the Riviera. But don't know if I need them.
The Metco Motorsports high performance lower control arms for the 1966-1968 Buick Riviera are CNC-machined from 6061-T6511 billet aluminum for unsurpassed strength and precision-fit. The control arms are clear-anodized for long-lasting surface protection. $299

dualquadpete · Canadian Poncho Superstar!

Mike, if you read the sheet that was posted above, looks like list is, windshield, horn, misc. bulbs, strg. centre link, right upper control arm, rt. & left uppr. b/joints, floor & drivers door body repair exhaust leak[gaskets ?? ] or exh. manifiolds. & problem in strg. column, that will have to be disassembled as will the exhaust to see what's required there, your horn problem could also be in the column, so don't buy a horn untill you have power down at the horn, some of this is going to be time consuming trying to find out what the fix is going to be, did you know the car was in this shape when you bought it??? I don't want to discourge you but this could become a MONEY PIT that you may not be prepared to to "fork out" unless you didn't spend alot to buy it, & can afford to put the $$$ back into it, without going too far that it's not worth doing!!! Your going to have to have a lot of tools & equipment [torches. welder, JACK & STANDS etc. You may find more body work is needed when they take windshield out, around that area, it's common for cars to "rot" out there as well. Total up the parts & labour for work that has to be done by mechanic's or garage, then what you can handle yourself + tools etc. then THINK is it worth it!!!! I'm into a project on my 52, but I have the equipment, garage & experience to do most of the work myself, otherwise I wouldn't have considered doing another car at my age & maybe I shouldn't have, but it keeps me thinking & my mind says I;m still young, but my body says "no your not"

mike667 · Poncho Master!

Tough to say, The guy told me it would probably cost 1500 not including the windshield to certify it? The windshield would then cost 500 from Apple Autoglass.

-- Edited by mike667 on Friday 29th of January 2010 11:02:35 PM

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

You could of course invest $9500 into this one. She looks good:
CLICK HERE

mike667 · Poncho Master!

I know, I like it. But I heard taxes will be over 2000? to pay at the border? Plus the shipping charges, plus the broker and Riv fee?

Canadian Poncho · A Poncho Legend!

Well, you could offer him 7k to help cover those costs. You could drive the car back (pay a deposit and pick it up in the Spring). You'd pay tax based on the bill of sale.