I hope this has not been done before or it is okay to ask for help on this thread. If not, please move or delete.
Here is my situation, For over fifty years I have always worked on my own cars and had one shop I trusted to do things if I couldn't. Now I can't do much work myself do to a quadruple heart bypass, COPD, arthritis and other complications. I had sell my house(with 3 car garage) and down-size to a townhouse(with 1 car garage). Also, the shop I used closed because the owner retired and moved to Florida. Hence my problem trusting someone to work on my baby. Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated, Thanks

 

Honestly, NJ is a fairly large state. You need to be more specific. What location in NJ? Someone may know a reputable automotive garage, but you need to narrow down the location.

 

Good point. Central NJ - Middlesex - Somerset - Hunterdon - Union - I actually live in Piscataway, but open to maybe Warren - Ocean counties too.

 

Understand the problem. Here by me in CA we’ve lost our last local transmission shop and the knowledgeable guys are retiring. Understanding demographics, I’m trying to get my cars in tip-top shape before the talented people complete disappear.

On the plus side, it’s Summer. Make a point of going out to the car shows / cars & coffee and ask around among the owners you find locally. They’ll care just as much about their cars as you do. And they may know someone who is trustworthy. If it were me (and it will be one day…) I’d find the nicer cars, or more interesting ones, or both and talk to the owners.

No knock intended, but don’t focus on Camaro & Mustang owners. Look for owners keeping Bonnevilles, Electra 225’s, Skylarks and other Cutlass/442’s. Those owners will have problems similar to yours and if they’ve found someone, or several shops they trust, you can build a list to go check out in person. Plus, hey, it’s a great chance to drive your fun car and talk to shops.

My guess is you’ll learn pretty quickly which shops know what you’ve got and how to treat/fix it, and those that don’t.

I don’t think this will get easier, we just gotta work at keeping unusual iron/steel on the road.

Cheers
Chris

 

Rob Ida is up there somewhere. I'm not really familiar, but he's always posting about the Asbury Park Thurs night circuit. I'm sure he or someone in that scene could get you pointed in the right direction. "I know a guy......." Fahgetaboutit

 

search out the Garden State Rockets OCA Chapter. Though a new OCA Chapter , they have lots of old experience. They may also have a facebook page.

 

Thanks all for your suggestions!! With my moving and downsizing I haven't had a chance for any car shows this year, but will start a few next month, God willing. I will try to network with others to find a reputable shop. I was just hoping someone here would have used a local trusted place, but again, THANKS

 

https://jerseyshorecarshows.wixsite....enstaterockets
https://www.facebook.com/GardenStateRockets/

 

Get in touch with Tom at Mid Atlantic Muscle Cars http://www.midatlanticmusclecar.com I don't know if he only does restorations or if he does service work also. He is very well respected in the Chevelle circles. If nothing else he might be able to steer you to somebody.