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Feb 10, 2005 13:17:53 GMT
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 Right, due to ridiculous time contraints, yesterday i decided to take my mk1 golf to kwik fit to get the blowing manifold-dowpipe sorted out, i wasn't prepared for the lack of respect and general "not give a shitness " of the staff, not interested/not taking that on mate being the general attitude. am i missing something here, i thought they were mean't to be running a business, but having never been to one before I'm not sure if this is normal....
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Benmarina16v
Part of things
1974 2ltr 16 Valve Marina Coupe 200Bhp On The Way
Posts: 414
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Feb 10, 2005 13:24:38 GMT
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That dose not surprises me. Most garages around my way look at the coupe or even the Capri and won't take them for an MOT!
One of my experiences:
About 2 years ago I was running twin SU's on the coupe and desperately needed them balancing, I pulled into a garage forecourt that had a service area and popped in to see if they could sort them for me as I was about to go away. The guy told me that he had only ever set up carbs on an MGB and that the Marina was totally different!!!!!!! THEY ARE THE SAME SU's!!!!!
I only have one garage I would even trust with my cars around here and that is run by a friend of the family! All his workers know what an old car is and will be more than happy to help!
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 '87 2.8 Ford Capri '74 2.0 16V Marina Coupe '72 1800TC Saloon '72 1800TC Coupe -------------------------------------------- www.morrismarina.net |
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Feb 10, 2005 13:31:02 GMT
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That's quite shocking really! I've never experienced any problems with taking older stuff to garages. In fact alot of people I have dealt with are quite glad of something unusual / easy to fix!! The only prob I have ever had was with a garage who adjusted the drums on my Astra without realising that they were warped, with result that they applied themselves at 90mph on the A14!  The garage grovelled and fixed it (new drums!) for nowt. |
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Shortcut
Posted a lot
I won't be there when you cross the road, so always use the Green Cross Code.
Posts: 3,037
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Feb 10, 2005 13:35:09 GMT
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Well in the interest of balance.
Have JUST come back from Kwik-Fit. Found the nsf tyre of the golf flat this morning.
They took it off, tested it for a puncture, found nothing and suggested it was due to local lads having fun after the pub as it was the only wheel without a valve cap on it.
Put it all back together and charged nowt!
Also welded up the exhaust on the ZS a few months ago for free, they were happy to help an older car. I guess it's down to the staff they have at each depot!
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This space available to rent. Reach literally dozens of people. Cheap rates!
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Feb 10, 2005 13:35:19 GMT
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Well I'm pretty curse word off to be honest, i NEVER, EVER get other people to work on my cars, i've always done it myself, just haven't the time this week, and blown exhausts tend not to agree with the neighbours at 4 in the morning etc.....this episode has not filled me with confidence.....
whats even worse, after this incident i wasn't discouraged i took it to " central tyre " down the road and got exactly the same reaction......and they spoke to me like i was a moron, which was nice.......was too tired to argue....although i might go back later and run a few people over.... ;D
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Feb 10, 2005 13:38:55 GMT
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Odd, really.
My brother in law works at ATS and they love to get their mitts on older faster stuff down there.
The only people they get pi$$ed off with are morons who don't understand the concepts of simple stuff. Like why it's a good idea to replace tyres in pairs.....
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Benmarina16v
Part of things
1974 2ltr 16 Valve Marina Coupe 200Bhp On The Way
Posts: 414
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Feb 10, 2005 13:40:59 GMT
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From the sounds of it every depo must be ran differently, would writing to the head office help? Writing to the manager of your branch might not get forwarded to the head office.
Their was an independent survay done around here that concluded that 6 in 10 garages were basicly rude and unwilling to assist.
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'87 2.8 Ford Capri '74 2.0 16V Marina Coupe '72 1800TC Saloon '72 1800TC Coupe -------------------------------------------- www.morrismarina.net |
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Feb 10, 2005 13:59:41 GMT
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I think it does depend on the staff - my favourite local garage is part of the Nationwide chain and they couldn`t be more helpful
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Feb 10, 2005 14:32:17 GMT
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Yeah, it definitely depends on who works at the branch. The monkeys at my local Kwik-Sh!t are a bunch of muppets. I asked them to do the tracking on my Merc. They said that they couldn't because you need special tools. I didn't know a 22mm socket was so specialised. The guys at my local ATS are much better, and are happy to provide help and advice. But the gaffer there likes old cars, which helps a lot!  |
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Feb 10, 2005 19:29:53 GMT
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I took my MK5 Cortina to a tyre and exhaust centre (can't remember which one now, but a well known chain) a few years back, for a new exhaust. when they got the old one off they decided I needed new manifold studs and when the cars on a ramp with no exhaust on you can't really argue..... the whole thing said 'rip off' to me.....
The local garage I go to for MOTs is a right scruffy old place (there's a beetle, mini and VW van dumped IN the workshop.... ) but I would trust them to be honest.
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... the only injury I sustained was a bumped head when I let the seatbelt of without realizing the car was upside down  and that's not really the car's fault. |
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Feb 10, 2005 21:35:03 GMT
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unfortunatley its as the old saying goes if you want a job doing properly do it yourself that can also be said for stuff in the house we have just brought our council house which has recently had a rewire new boiler fitted and new heating and double glazing now i own it i'm in the prosses of rewiring it refitting the new boiler and heating then once thats done i can sort out the double glazing the counsil here in southend only employ coyboys buy the looks of the shoddy workmanship that has been done here and as far as have to pay for so called approved people to do the gas and electrical side of things just coz this curse word hole of a goverments says so bo@@ocks i'll do my bloody self it will be done properly then
that said this is the way they now want to go with any vehicle work ie any work you want done on your car will have to be done by an approved garage again i will be saying bo@@ocks to them .
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Feb 10, 2005 21:43:16 GMT
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unfortunatley its as the old saying goes if you want a job doing properly do it yourself that can also be said for stuff in the house we have just brought our council house which has recently had a rewire new boiler fitted and new heating and double glazing now i own it i'm in the prosses of rewiring it refitting the new boiler and heating then once thats done i can sort out the double glazing the counsil here in southend only employ coyboys buy the looks of the shoddy workmanship that has been done here and as far as have to pay for so called approved people to do the gas and electrical side of things just coz this curse word hole of a goverments says so bo@@ocks i'll do my bloody self it will be done properly then that said this is the way they now want to go with any vehicle work ie any work you want done on your car will have to be done by an approved garage again i will be saying bo@@ocks to them . Ffft! At least you get the house at a third of it's market value, leaving you plenty o' cash to spend on other stuff....When you pay top whack AND have to do all those jobs too...THATS when it really hurts! |
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Feb 10, 2005 21:49:08 GMT
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Ffft! At least you get the house at a third of it's market value, leaving you plenty o' cash to spend on other stuff....When you pay top whack AND have to do all those jobs too...THATS when it really hurts! unfortunaly not they have a cap on it now at 56% of the market value , still very cheap but not as cheap as they used to be |
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Feb 10, 2005 21:53:38 GMT
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The woman who we bought our house from bought it off the council for £30,000, then flogged it to us (in grotty condition) for £120,000 (average is £150,000 in our 'hood). What did she do with the whopper profit? curse word it up the wall last I heard! Now I have to go through and undo 80 years of council bodgery and her penchant for hideous interior design. Trying to do most of it myself. But it's still cost me over £7,000 so far!  |
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Kris
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,631
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Feb 10, 2005 23:35:53 GMT
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As has been said before, it depends on the attitude of the branch.
I got some Yokos for my G/Fs Seicento on t'internet and took them to my local Kwik-Fit to get them fited, assuming they would tell me where to put them, and they fitted them for me there and then, paid for new valves and balancing, 'bout a tenner I think, mega.
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I have to say I have only ever known 2 garages who have treated me honestly and with respect and unfortunately both of those are two far away for me to use since I moved.
The last time I went to kwik fit was in Leeds, disks and pads badly needed changing on the car I was using and to their credit, they fitting me straight in ..... shame then that the pads caught fire the next day under normal braking.
Last time I went to the kwik fit in Loughborough was to get a set of boots put on a new set of wheels I had just bought from M7 ..... they left all the protective covering on them so the tyres never made a decent seal with the wheels and constantly went down.
The problem's not just big chains though, little garages are just as bad. If you've found somewhere you trust you're doing a lot better than I have in the last 10 years!!
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Feb 11, 2005 10:12:13 GMT
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My nearest Quick Fit (I refuse to spell it wrongly!) is great. They love the Volvo and are all friendly. The last time, I had some exhaust work done by a GIRL! who knew her stuff.
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Peugeot 307sw - Suzuki SV650S - MX5.
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Feb 11, 2005 11:29:32 GMT
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The last time, I had some exhaust work done by a GIRL! who knew her stuff. steady   |
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Feb 11, 2005 13:19:15 GMT
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My local tyre fitters/exhaust centre are all car mad. The staff have the following
Cortina 1600E
Wolseley 4/44
MK2 Ford Consul
Reliant Robin in Trotter colours
Mk1 Lotus Esprit
Mustang 289ci
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Feb 11, 2005 14:58:01 GMT
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True that, there are loads of places that treat you like sh* t when you go in, and I know loads of them that try to con everyone that comes in, I know plenty or girls who ask me to go with them when they get something done to their motors (or just ask me to do it if it's only something simple) since when they go into garages they get fleeced, I went into a fairly big Ford garage a while back because a friend of mine said that they were probably talking curse word about what needed done to her Ford Ka (I've told her time and time again to get something old and interesting but she won't listen! ;D ;D ;D ;D) when it needed servicing, and sure enough they were talking utter curse word, asking for money for new tyres when the ones on it were in great condition and had plenty of tread left (and I checked) that sort of thing. I told them I wanted to talk to their gaffer and promptly tore him a new one. silly-billies! |
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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and that's not really the car's fault.
