Who is the best person to work on cars?

I have yet to find an independent mechanic in Austin. Does anyone know someone who owns there own shop who can work on cars affordably?

Another thing I've yet to find is an affordable car wash or body shop to buff cars. Where can I get my surfaces buffed without paying through the nose?

Interesting question, but why does the mechanic have to be independent? Compared to others, where does the independent get their training? What markup do they have to pay for parts before marking them up to sell them to you? Are they insured, just in case something goes wrong? These are all questions that you want to ask yourself before selecting any person that offers a "skilled" service. Like most skilled services, especially ones that deal with highly technical machines (computers, televisions, video cameras, automobiles, etc.) in many, if not all cases, you get what you pay for, because you are in fact paying for their training, facility, tools and equipment, and years of practical everyday experience in their chosen field.

Take the buffing question, for instance. If a teenager can get a job at a fast food restaurant making $10.00 per hour, them what incentive do they have to work as an apprentice for minimium wage to learn a craft like body work (of which buffing is a subset). It takes an average of 3-4 hours to buff an automobile correctly. What is a "skilled" persons time worth? Twice what the kid at Rudy's makes? Three times? Hell in an average restaurant the waiter(waitress) tip is an average of $8.00-$10.00 per hour and they are working 8-10 tables. I know that I do not want just anyone buffing my car because if they glaze or burn the paint, it becomes very expensive.

In summation, when dealing with persons that offer skilled services, in many cases you get what you pay for!!!!

Tom Bragg or Doug Scales, maybe.
http://www3.austincc.edu/schedule/s210f/abrt210Ff.htm

In summation, when dealing with persons that offer skilled services, in many cases you get what you pay for!!!! Originally Posted by Spacemtn

Unfortunately, in car repair, there are many mechanics that charge a high rate and still give crappy service and do unnecessary repairs. I wouldn't mind paying a high hourly rate if I could trust the guy to do the right thing and not do unnecessary repairs or even fraudulent repairs.

Maybe instead of "you get what you pay for," we should say "you don't get what you don't pay for."

Unfortunately, computer repair is sort of the same racket.

Brinkmeyer's auto repair off of north lamar. We have been using him for over 5 years and never had a complaint about him

There are lots of good shops and Techs out there. The issue with modern Autos is that the diagnostics on today's autos are not as precise as any of us would like. An example, check engine light comes on, car is taken to a shop and OBD diagnosis tool is plugged in. Code is read and a list of steps is recommended starting with replacing a sensor and testing and ending with replacing the transmission. If a tech or shop owner follows the steps and replaces the parts in the order recommended and it still turns out to be a transmission, he is branded a crook and a rip off artits because he "sold you some stuff you did not need". On the other hand, if he jumps straight to the transmission replacement, and all you needed was a sensor, harness, or modulator body, then he was a crrok for selling you a transmission when you didn't need one. Much of today's disgnostics, don't pinpoint the failed part conclusively so there is some trial and error in the repair process. When this happens, consumers always think that they are being ripped off.

If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.
Red Adair