Return-Path: Received: from hostess.graphics.cs.cmu.edu by K.GP.CS.CMU.EDU id aa08533; 24 Nov 92 16:10:26 EST Date: Tue, 24 Nov 92 16:09:46 EST From: Paul.Heckbert@HOSTESS.GRAPHICS.CS.CMU.EDU To: bovik@k.gp.cs.cmu.edu Subject: Volvo shops Here is a collection of all of the responses I received to my request for Pittsburgh-area Volvo shop recommendations. The dates on all of these are early November 1992. ---- Newsgroups: cmu.misc.market,cmu.cs.general,pgh.general From: ph+@cs.cmu.edu (Paul Heckbert) Subject: Volvo shops? Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1992 16:34:52 -0500 I need to get my 1991 Volvo serviced. Unfortunately, Bovik (the CMU Computer Science referral service) knows almost nothing on the subject. What have your experiences been at the following Volvo service departments? Cummins Motor Sales, Canonsburg Barton Motor Co, South Hills P&W Motors, Shadyside Dean's Garage, Bigelow Blvd J&M Foreign Car Service, Steubenville Pike others? Would you recommend them? Please email to me and I'll summarize to cmu.misc.market and to Bovik. ---- From: "Mary L. Pretz-Lawson" We bought ours from P&W in 1983 and my husband insists on taking it there all the time. They seem to do good work but are high priced. There have been some nagging problems that they've taken repeat visits to fix. But they know us and give us good treatment - but then they should, given the money we have paid to them over the years. ---- From: Kathleen Marie Shanks I am the proud (?) owner of a '74 Volvo. I have it serviced (and believe me, it needs it often) at Walter's Texaco in Shadyside (Walnut Street). Tim, the mechanic, knows enough about Volvos so that most of the time he can cure it. But on the occasion that he can't, my car has made the trek to Fifth Avenue Motors, in Shadyside, who are always very prompt in finding the trouble. I can't elaborate on the cost at Fifth Ave, because I pay Walter's, but they do know what they are doing. ---- From: sdcst6@unixd1.cis.pitt.edu (Stephen D Cohen) I have used P&W for the regular service on my 1991 240. I would recommend them. Friendly, quick, and polite. ---- From: Ann Marks I have been in Pittsburgh for 5 years and am a Volvo owner. Here are my experiences. First, on the advice of the CS guide to living in Pittsburgh, I first tried Dean's Garage. This is a one man shop - the guy just loves tinkering with Volvos. I found him flakey and hard to get a hold of. The first and only time I took my car to him, I called to ask when I might pick up my car and he gave me a time. A friend drove me over and left me off. Suffice it to say that I waited over an hour for him to come back. I could not possibly leave - he was out with my car. Second, I tried P&W in Shadeyside. They did so so work at an unreasonable price. The day the service manager raged at me, was the day I decided to NEVER go back. Third, I tried Barton over on the south side. I have been completely satisifed. They do excellent work at a fair price. The car is always ready when they say it will be, the car is always fixed - I have never once had to take the car back to get it re-fixed and I have been going over there for 3.5 years. They are also a joy to deal with. I enthusiastically recommend them. The one down side is that they can not ride me up to CMU or pick me up. The alternatives are to wait for the car. There is a charming little luncheon resturant about 3 blocks from the shop called Frank & Shirley's. I have had many a pleasant breakfast there while waiting for the car. The other alternative is to rent a car from Barton - if you elect to do this be sure to tell them that you need a car when you call to make the appointment for service. The cost the last time I did this (which was about 1.5 years ago) was $25 for the day. Even with the cost of the rental, it is less expensive than P&W. ---- From: "Philip S. Americus" If you need to get your Volvo fixed, a very good place is Randy's Foreign Car Service in Hazelwood. It has kept my families 1976 Volvo alive and running well over the years. I believe that the number for the shop is 521-8810. If this is the wrong number, just e-mail me and I'll get the right number. ---- From: "William W. Lee" I highly recommand P&W at Baum Boulevard. They service and sell BMW, SAAB, and VOLVO. When I had my SAAB serviced by them, they were really nice compare to SEARS, KMART, or other "small shops". Their price was actually cheaper then SEARS and they are very very close to campus. You can walk there in 15 mins from Wean. Their address is P&W; 4801-4900 Baum Boulevard; Pittsburgh, PA 15213; (412) 682-0788 ---- From: br@menu.visus.com (Brian Rosen) We have always taken ours (had an 81, now have a 92) to Ascot Imported Cars in Sewickley. They have treated us very well. Highly recommended for a dealer (relatively higher labor rates). For routine things, your local Procare does okay; always hit the estimate, fast, convenient service, back up their work with a warranty, etc. ---- From: Paul Yen-Chung Lu Dean's Volvo does really good work. ---- From: "Mark L. Nagurka" Our experience is that Barton is good but expensive. They seem thorough, methodical and surgically expensive. I would recommend going to Sweden before trying P&W. ---- From: Jon Humphrey Being a Volvo FANATIC and on the fringe of lunacy because of it, here are my recomendations: For Dealers, I recomend Barton's. I would stay away from P&W. Dunno about Cummins. For VOLVO Hacks, I do believe that Dean has vanished. I presume that you are refering to that place up by Herron Ave. Much too strange a place. J&M seems alright, They did some work for me on my Honda, and did a decent job. Give me VOLVOS::: I love em-- I worship em-- I eat, sleep, spend until the wee hours of the night with em. I got divorced one time because of em. ... [more Volvo pining deleted] ---- From: Jaime Carbonell P&W Volvo is conveniently located, but that's about the best one can say for P&W. Their service is expensive. They are slow. They create unnecessary work for themselves. Here is one anecdote: In 1985 I bought a Volvo from them: the least expensive model and they gave me a good deal to boot. So far so good. At the first warranty-covered service, they took down and remounted one of the doors, and charged Volvo NA for the (totally unnecessary) service. They remounted the door wrong (it almost did not close). I went back and they remounted again, a bit better, but not as good as before. Again they charged Volvo NA but for a different (!!) door. Next service, they "tuned" something to make the motor run worse, again totally on their own initiative. When I complained, they answered "What do you care, you are not paying for it." But I was paying for it indirectly, my car was being slowly ruined from factory perfection to sloppy garage-mechanic jerry-rigged. I did not go back. In fact, I had the door remounted correctly at a Volvo garage when I was in Bethesda. A letter to Volvo NA resulted only on a polite generic note from Volvo thanking me for expressing my concerns. ---- From: Cindy Stell I visited Dean's on Bigelow once, to have a used Volvo evaluated (I was hoping to buy it). Dean impressed me as an ex-hippie with a passion for cars, particularly Volvos (and Corvettes). I liked his set-up and his manner. He knows Volvos, seems honest, trustworthy - everything you could want in a mechanic. From talking with a P&W salesman, I get the idea that their repair shop is a very tight-run ship. That's all I know. A "Volvo family" I know respects the integrity and workmanship at the Barton shop.