Thread: mechanics in northern melb?

takes me 1hr to get to traralgon and its and easy cruise down the highway, there's always gippsland offroad near the mobil but i havent used them

When you need a good mechanic, it is well worth travelling a little further. What you might save in travel you will benefit ten times over if the mechanic is better.

When I lived near Romsey I travelled 90 kilometres to Bayswater to get Fred Smith Automotive (03 9720 4999) to do my work. It was worth the drive. Now I live in NSW and still travel to Fred in Bayswater. I have just had too many disasters letting mediocre mechanics touch my cars.

Has anyone used Les Richmond in Tomastown recently? I was talking a guy at work who said the guy who runs it is unhelpful and does not like to help people help themselves. He said that the owner has let his son take over recently - any one know about this? I was planning a trip there next week but this conversation has really put me off.

Someone on here I think suggested AMV in Ringwood - would anyone here reccomend them? They are a little further away from me but I will travel if it is worth it.

The head guys at LRA are good - helpful and their work is good, ie the major jobs done by them will be fine. However maybe some of the lower mechanics need more supervision, some basic things have slipped past them and had to get rectified at home.

But seriously, you will get that anywhere.

The only work you can really trust is the work you do yourself.

I totally agree with you. I do all the work on my disco aside from transmission service (Auto's dont like my touch) If it breaks i have no one else to blame but i also have no warranty so I have to make sure i do it right the first time. On a plus side if i break down in the bush i know my disco inside out and 'should' have no problem identifying the problem and fixing it track side

Originally Posted by zuno555

The head guys at LRA are good - helpful and their work is good, ie the major jobs done by them will be fine. However maybe some of the lower mechanics need more supervision, some basic things have slipped past them and had to get rectified at home.

But seriously, you will get that anywhere.

The only work you can really trust is the work you do yourself.

I called Les Richmond a couple of days ago to discuss my starting problems.

Humph!

The bloke was unhelpfull to the point of being rude, his answers were short, he seemed completely disinterested in my problems, showed no willingness to discuss anything with me regarding what work needed to be done, and it was like getting blood out of a stone trying to get any pricing information out of him. As far as I am concerned he can stick his garage up his exhaust pipe, I will go somewhere that understands customer service.

Looks like the chap I spoke to at work was right, this place seems to have gone down hill.

Originally Posted by Mattskii

Has anyone used Les Richmond in Tomastown recently? I was talking a guy at work who said the guy who runs it is unhelpful and does not like to help people help themselves. He said that the owner has let his son take over recently - any one know about this? I was planning a trip there next week but this conversation has really put me off.

Someone on here I think suggested AMV in Ringwood - would anyone here reccomend them? They are a little further away from me but I will travel if it is worth it.

Well the guy that owns it now is andrew Richmond and his father owned it previously ( Les richmond ) before his passing, been in the family for at least 20 years that i know off. Yes he can be a bit short and possibly rude but he is one of the few specialists around that know's LR's and modifies them.

Go see Fred Smith in Bayswater as I suggested in an earlier post. He doesn't have loan cars, but he also doesn't have apprentices or other doubtful employeees. He is ex-army, and if an item is not perfect then it is absolutely rooted and he fixes it.

I am a fussy bas**** and mechanics don't like me, but I have never been ****ed off with Fred. He isn't cheap, but he is cheaper than a crook mechanic.......