Last edited by 1996 328ti; 10-18-2010 at 04:14 AM.
If anyone has any updates, I'm happy to add them. (I need to add RRT and some other info... Car maintenance has been taking precedence over web maintenance, lately.)
Yea, Bill is no longer at J&F. And thanks for the list!
Where is he now?Yea, Bill is no longer at J&F.
John in VA
NCC concours program
'74 2002tii
'85 535i
'86 535i
'03 530i
'06 330ci ZHP
'15 228i M Sport
I want to say the Tidewater area of VA but I'm not sure.Originally Posted by John in VA
Bill Brochu is somewhere in Tidewater with his brothers I believe.
Gary ex-spinmeister
"Drift it, but don't spin..." Tanner Foust, Fed Ex 10/29/06
He went to work for Terry Baker in VA Beach. I believe it's Atlantic Autowerks.
Kevin
So, is there anyone we "like" at J&F these days? I haven't been there in ~8 years. I have old cars, so that might make a difference.
John in VA
NCC concours program
'74 2002tii
'85 535i
'86 535i
'03 530i
'06 330ci ZHP
'15 228i M Sport
Yes there is and actually it is a better shop than J&F ever was. Problem is they aren't taking any new customers. Shop is great for older cars especially E30's and M's.
Two comments on shops. First Auto Advantage is now "Advantage Certified" and I have recently had several excellent experiences with them. I can go into more detail if anyone likes, but I would recommend them based on my experience.
The second comment is actually a question (and the reason I went to Advantage). Briefly, I went to a local independent who advertises in db and who was recommended by another NCC member. I had an *awful* experience with them, including bad advice, incomplete jobs, lack of knowledge about my car ('98 540i), "fixes" that caused other problems, and difficulty in getting warranty work done. I ended up going to Advantage and they were very straightforward, honest (including inviting me into the shop to see particular problems myself), reasonably priced, and they actually fixed all the problems (and found obvious others that the first shop missed).
So, here is my question. Do I leave it alone and attribute my bad experience to luck? To me? Or do I let other NCC members know about it? I wouldn't want others to have the same bad (and expensive) experience I had but recognize that I am an n=1 of my interaction may not be representative of how this shop does business.
Thoughts?
Feel free to express your opinion about your experience.
Everyone has had good and bad experiences from the same independent or dealer.
Sorry - My question was more J&F-specific. Has there been any recent experiences/staff/ownership changes that warrant NOT recommending J&F to drivers down that way?So, is there anyone we "like" at J&F these days? I haven't been there in ~8 years. I have old cars, so that might make a difference.
I've seen this comment for several years now. Maybe you can let us know WHEN new customers CAN contact Bill for service!OwnedbyDuncan said:Yes there is and actually it is a better shop than J&F ever was. Problem is they aren't taking any new customers. Shop is great for older cars especially E30's and M's.
John in VA
NCC concours program
'74 2002tii
'85 535i
'86 535i
'03 530i
'06 330ci ZHP
'15 228i M Sport
Hello folks,
I'm new to the board, and new to BMW's as well. Last week I bought a 2000 323i, and am having it serviced for some items the previous owner deferred maintenance on.
I had no idea how to select a repair shop, and was averse to taking it to my local dealer, Fairfax BMW. Looking through the previous owner's file, he had an oil pan replaced for over $1600 there, struck me as extreme. Anyway, I have committed it to Fairfax Service Center, which is listed as an independent BMW repair facility by an association of these shops. However, I could find no mention of it in this thread.
Does anybody have any experience with them? This shop is located on Prosperity, just across Lee Highway from the dealer.
I also work close to the Martin shop in Gaithersburg, which seems to have it's fans. That would be a future alternative for me. Appreciate any feedback!
Thumbs-up for Dan Martin's Auto Service in Gaithersburg
I have been taking my two BMWs to Dan for several years. Dan is honest and forthright. A real "no bullsh*t" shop and his prices are reasonable. I have never felt I was getting screwed nor being asked to pay for something the car didn't need (as opposed to other shops in the area I have had experience with). He only works on BMWs.
The best thing I can say is that Dan is a good guy. He and his staff are not perfect - no shop is. The Dan Martin difference is that he admits it when things did not go right and he fixes it. No blaming the customer (see above comment about other shops).
Oh, and he is also a BMW enthusiast who club races and instructs for the National Capital Chapter.
I say give him a try.
Jim Colbert
Appreciate the input Jim. I didn't actually find Dan's shop until after I had committed my car to the Fairfax shop. However, a co-worker showed up yesterday with a new (to him) 2003 z4, and wanted a shop to check it out before finalizing the purchase.
I showed him Dan's web site, so he took it there during lunch, got what he thought was a valuable 1 hour of inspection effort and input on the car's condition.
Will definitely give him a shot at future business.
Tom
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