<VV> Repair Shops (no Corvair) Bottom line, DO IT YOURSELF !

[Charles Lee at Proper Pro Per]

I had a 1960 Buick Flxible ambulance (like in Ghostbusters, but a Buick) 
with a 440 ci V8.

The rear plugs were VERY hard to reach so I figure next tune-up, I'll let a 
"pro" do it.  Worth it just to get those two plugs !

When I a had a leaking master cylinder, I also figured I'd get the tune-up, 
so I brought it to the local shop. (I was on temporary assignment upstate 
NY, and had more money than time, soooo...)

I picked it up after and noticed that he only charged me for 6 plugs, but 
fu]or the full tune-up.

I bring it to his attention, and he says, "Yeah, those 2 back ones were too 
hard to get at, so we didn't replace them" !!!

That was so stupid that I didn't notice that he also had simply topped off 
my brake fluid instead of testing the brakes, repairing them, or whatever 
shops are s'posed to do, and I didn't realize that until I was halfway home, 
on about a 20 degree hill when the car stalled (the timing was off, I found 
later.)

The brake cylinder quickly depleted itself of fluid as I tried to keep her 
from barreling backwards down the hill, at the bottom of which was a nearly 
shear drop off.

I finally hooked the car a hard left in reverse up some guy's driveway, and 
hooked her "uphill" on his lawn, and then "rocked" that boat to a safe stop. 
I ruined the guy's lawn in the process.

I walked back to the shop on pure adrenalin, and told that mechanic "I'll 
see you in court !!!!"

The mechanic calmly replied, "Suppose you will.  I'm the judge."

Small towns are so nice !

I learned shortly about getting him recused, etc, etc, but his cousin is 
probably the other judge and his mother, the circuit court judge.

Bottom line, DO IT YOURSELF.  You can screw it up yourself for FREE ! (and 
maybe learn something in the process !)


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Padgett" <pp2 at 6007.us>
To: <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 6:36 PM
Subject: Re: <VV> Repair Shops (no Corvair)


>
> Still have the receipt from an Anderson IN GM dealer who diagnosed low oil 
> pressure on the gauge as a defective gauge when one of the cam bearings 
> was sitting on the bottom of the oil pan.
>
> Wasn't all bad. Proceeded to drive 1000 miles at Interstate speeds (no 
> babying) and was running sweetly when got it home. Hooked a mechanical 
> gauge (what the dealer was supposed to do according to the book) and 20 
> psi max just like the gauge said. Was a lot cheaper to fix at home though 
> & would not have driven if had known what was really wrong.
>
> Since then have heard of a number of 1990 3800s dropping cam bearings but 
> there never was a TSB or advisory.
>
> Padgett
>
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