In one week we performed 200 free diagnosis's, replaced a total of 22 catalytic converters, 48 brake rotors, serviced 25 tune-ups, 40 oil changes, 9 a/c compressors, delivered over 300 parts and installed 14 custom dual exhaust systems and 2 a/c recharges.
After 40 years of service, BigMechanic.Com will soon be offering financing to its already low prices. This will include a 25% down and in house financing of 3, 6 or 12 months, approval only depends on customer income and check writing history.
Some of the more memorable repairs were:
A family broke down Monday on interstate 75 near the Dade City exit due to broken serpentine belt. This means that the alternator couldn’t charge the ignition system. The husband had a jump-box booster that he used to drive the car by connecting the alligator connectors and using the box as a surrogate battery. This saved him $150.00 on towing and kept his family's vacation on schedule. Good Job Jim!
On Saturday we helped push a customer's vehicle off of Hillsborough Ave where it stalled. After that, the young man called a towing service to take the car to his house. We explained that we "fix cars" and he replied that he already knew what was wrong and that he couldn't afford it based on another mechanic’s diagnosis of a failed PCM module, which would cost over $900.00. He agreed to let us look at the vehicle, and it's a good thing we did because the actual problem was an overheating coil pack that controls spark to cylinders one & three. His car was fixed in about an hour later and his total for the repair was only $168.00 plus tax. He even made it to USF on time for his evening class.
One of our best customer's in Pasco County, Mr. Higginson, finally sold his 1996 Dodge Neon after driving it faithfully for 17 years. He literally brought the new owner of the car (he sold it outright) to our Dade City shop to introduce him. He explained that we were the only ones to service his car after his factory service warranty expired. Mr. Higginson drove that vehicle for 318,000 miles. That equates to about 100 oil changes alone! He loved that 5 speed Neon because the great fuel economy was 38mpg. He is now driving a new Kia Optima. I'm sure we'll be seeing that car in a few years. He drives his car daily to Disney where he has worked for 20 years.
Since 1980, we have serviced the United States Coast guard for specialty exhaust systems. Naturally, they cannot bring any vessels to any of our shops. We are proud to be able to work with the service technicians in their outfit by working with drawn schematics instead. Last week a US Naval ship was in their port for an emergency repair. This time they brought us a seven-foot long, two-foot diameter muffler with 5” flanged pipes. None of our suppliers even have a listing for anything with those dimensions. We were able to find the factory name & numbers stamped in the muffler, even though it was badly rusted. When we called them, they said they are not allowed to sell to the public due to military contract, but that it would also take 4 weeks to make another.
We work with a company in the Northwest who can make any muffler for any type of engine in the world. The admiral of the ship approved the aftermarket design, and they were back in service in 6 days. The amazing part is the engine that this muffler silenced. It was a 16-cylinder turbo diesel that is only used for pumping water out of the engine room! The engine room is over 1/3rd of an acre!
