Mechanic specialising in VW Bora near Newcastle

[Ald]

Hi Folks

i purchased a 2001 Bora V5 on Thursday and need a really good mechanic to take a look at it for me.
I am in Newcastle. I would really like to know a mechanic who knows the Bora well.
It makes a rattling sound when in first and sounds more like a WRX.

Cheers
Ald

[brad]

PM Lucas_R. He knows a few up that way

[HaydEn]

European auto centre Wickham

[Ald]

Thanks Guys

i went and saw Michael at Twighlight Automotive he used to work for the above mentioned mechanics before he went on his own. He was a really nice guy, great communicator, he hoisted the car up, pointed out all the problems and even passed me on to another crowd when there was something he would need to send to them anyway. And he did not charge me at all even though he spent the afternoon looking at my two cars and quoted. So really good experience 403 Forbidden

he will send me a quote in the morning for the Bora

needs :

new shocks
new rear disk rotors and pads
possibly new radiator
new suspension bush
has a slight oil sump leak requiring a gasket service
needs a new indicator and cruise control unit if I want cruise control
needs another gearbox as the manual gear box bearing on first gear rattles so that the car sounds like a WRX

This is amazing as a crowd in Gosford did the service just one month ago and never picked any of this up except the noise in the gearbox.
Just goes to show, you get the best service from the small guy who runs his own shop.

I will update later. If anyone has these parts or knows the best place to get them cheaper please let me know.

[Lucas_R]

Michael at Twilight is good - he did some work on my GTI a few weeks ago.

[brad]

I hope the car was cheap because there's ~$4k of work there.

Get him to prioritise the work and also "group" stuff so that you aren't doubling up on labour.

I think some workshops get so used to their customers wanting to spend the bare minimum and being happy to drive around in heaps of crap that they stop looking beyond the basics.

I know where I work the bosses continually stop us from doing some repairs and the tradies report the issue 2 or 3 times and then give up. Then the problem is forgotten about for a few years until it has a catastrophic failure then the bosses have a spew and demand to know why nobody noticed the item was deteriorating

[Ald]

Brad I know what you mean, lots of guys around with the cheap and nasty mentality around. I am learning to hold back with some of my opinions these days, truth is that some of the bosses around would flog their grandmothers of to a brothel to make $50 bucks if they can.

Michael came in with a really fair quote its at about $3700 might be a bit more if clutch gets replaced and a rubber seal. I found a 2nd hand gearbox for $300 and a unused original cruise control unit on gumtree.

Any recommendations on better shocks and brake pads?

I am a bit stressed out with cars at the moment. I am the owner who will get things done properly and get it done right. So I will fix only the breaks and the gearbox this month and just drive the car locally until I can afford the remaining repairs to be done properly.

Until you get a car up on a hoist, connect it up to a computer and get underneath it after getting the car to operating temperature on a thorough test drive that includes reversing up long steep driveways you just never know what you are buying.

So again it's better to buy from a private person and get the car cheaper because if you buy from a dealer you still get all the problems and the dealers don't care after you drive away but you pay a premium.

Mind you what are we talking about we live in a country where it's normal to sell off your problem cars to another person and dealers and auctioneers sell cars that have had no mandatory legal full mechanical inspection. The pink slip system is just a tax and the Bora I had passed that test even though windscreen wipers at not working and other roadworthy fail items were just passed

[brad]

Dampers - Koni Sports

Brakes - ring Brakes Direct and discuss as it depends how you drive. If you just bop around town then probably Freemax rotors & Remsa pads

[Ald]

Thanks Brad, I have put the car on gumtree with a honest description and a very reasonable price so if someone is mechanically minded they can do it much cheaper. If it doesn't sell I will just do everything slowly and keep the car because for crying out loud for about $6000 bucks max you own and are in control of a pure German black stallion that OBEYS and gives you the confidence no commy or ford ever will. I just have too much on my plate and too many expenses to deal with now. I only bought the car because a dealer paid me a good price for my previous car, wouldn't let me deliver the car two days later and I was waiting for my VW T4 to be ready. I bought it last Thursday and the T4 on Friday.

[brad]

I think I would have gone with a hire car