http://178.63.27.54:8080/statictangents/2011/04/09/car-trouble-honest-mechanics/ Random tangents Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:46:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://178.63.27.54:8080/statictangents/2011/04/09/car-trouble-honest-mechanics/comment-page-1/#comment-2188 Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:46:48 +0000 http://178.63.27.54:8080/statictangents/?p=1503#comment-2188 This sounds exactly like my experience in Sweden, but my car was a Volvo. Always look behind the sign, and more to the people who work there. The Volvo workshop always gaved fixed prices, but what good does that do, when they only replace the right part on every third attempt or so?

]]> http://178.63.27.54:8080/statictangents/2011/04/09/car-trouble-honest-mechanics/comment-page-1/#comment-2177 Sat, 09 Apr 2011 21:07:59 +0000 http://178.63.27.54:8080/statictangents/?p=1503#comment-2177 I spun on black ice a few years ago, and smushed up (technical term) a corner of the car. Pretty much everything related to the front-right wheel (panels, suspension, steering rack, wishbone, the lot) was damaged. A Nissan garage quoted well over €4k to fix it, which was more than the car was worth and would have meant writing it off. They even included entirely replacing the driver’s door which was only scraped and dented lightly. My local mechanics did the entire job for about €1600, which included all parts, panels, un-beating the driver door and respraying everything concerned. We’ve done about 70000km in it since, so I think it’s okay.

]]>