Return-Path: Received: ID ; 5 Sep 84 09:23:14 EDT Date: 5 Sep 84 0919 EDT (Wednesday) From: Roy.Taylor@CMU-CS-A.ARPA To: Harry.Bovik@CMU-CS-A.ARPA Subject: Auto repairs and Merge Motors CC: Gary.Strohm@CMU-RI-ISL1.ARPA Message-Id: <05Sep84.091926.RT70@CMU-CS-A.ARPA> Harry -- Here are the responses to my request for local auto repair info. Since the last msg, I've discovered two additional service shops that may prove useful: Forbes Field Garage, on Bouquet St. (behind the new Pitt business school) apparently does reasonable work on foreign cars. Gulf station on Millvale (1 blk W of Morewood) between Center & Baum. Second-hand recommendation. -- Roy - - - - Begin forwarded messages - - - - Return-Path: Received: ID ; 7 Aug 84 10:27:28 EDT Date: 7 Aug 84 1026 EDT (Tuesday) From: Mark.Cutkosky@CMU-CS-A.ARPA To: Roy.Taylor@CMU-CS-A.ARPA Subject: Merge Message-Id: <07Aug84.102609.MC5E@CMU-CS-A.ARPA> My parents live about a block away from Merge and have used them for 20 years for minor work. If I were them, I wouldn't trust Merge with anything but minor service. If you have a foreign car, or even a fairly new car, Merge is OK for things like putting on snow tires but not for anything that requires skill. Merge tends to do things like install your new muffler so it bangs against the car. I doubt Merge knows much about newfangled things like electronic ignition, fuel injection etc. - - - - - - - - - Return-Path: Received: from CMU-CS-IUS.ARPA by CMU-CS-A.ARPA; 7 Aug 84 10:47:48 EDT Date: Tuesday, 7 August 1984 10:47:56 EDT From: Steven.Shafer@cmu-cs-ius.arpa To: roy.taylor@cmu-cs-a.arpa Subject: Car service Message-ID: <1984.8.7.14.44.59.Steven.Shafer@cmu-cs-ius.arpa> Roy -- I haven't had any experience with them, but the Gulf station at Forbes and Murray is on the AAA list of "Approved Mechanics" for many kinds of work on all domestic cars. If you're not familiar with this list, it means that AAA has checked them out and approved, and that AAA members get special protection when they announce their membership at the time service is ordered. The special protection includes, among other things, the mechanic agreeing to abide by a AAA arbitrator in case of an unresolvable dispute; the arbitration is binding upon the mechanic but not upon the customer. If I had to have work done on my car, that's where I'd go. -- Steve - - - - - - - - - Return-Path: Received: from CMU-CS-VLSI.ARPA by CMU-CS-A.ARPA; 7 Aug 84 11:20:11 EDT Date: 7 Aug 1984 11:08-EST From: Allan.Fisher@CMU-CS-VLSI.ARPA Subject: Re: Merge Motors service To: Roy.Taylor at CMU-CS-A Message-Id: <460739326/alf@CMU-CS-VLSI> In-Reply-To: Roy.Taylor at CMU-CS-A's bboard message of 07-Aug-84 10:12 Merge Motors is strongly disrecommened in the guide to living in Pittsburgh, and I've heard supporting opinions from several people. I've just been going to Doug's Exxon down the street on Forbes, and I've been generally satisfied. I don't know if I'd go to them for really major work, but everything they've done to my car seems fine. - - - - - - - - - Return-Path: Received: ID ; 7 Aug 84 11:27:37 EDT Date: 7 Aug 84 11:26:17 EDT From: Craig Everhart@CMU-CS-A Subject: Re: Merge Motors service To: Roy Taylor Harry doesn't know, but the Guide To Living In Pittsburgh has a negative recommendation for them. I've used them on several occasions. Their work is good but expensive. Craig - - - - - - - - - Return-Path: Received: from CMU-CS-IUS.ARPA by CMU-CS-A.ARPA; 7 Aug 84 11:28:21 EDT Date: 7 Aug 1984 11:19-EST From: Ellen.Walker@CMU-CS-IUS.ARPA Subject: Re: Merge Motors service To: Roy.Taylor at CMU-CS-A Message-Id: <460739984/elw@CMU-CS-IUS> In-Reply-To: Roy.Taylor at CMU-CS-A's bboard message of 07-Aug-84 10:18 The name is familiar but not the location. Maybe they moved? Anyway, I dealt with a Merge motors on Wilkins and Wightman for my Plymouth Horizon about 1.5 years ago. The car had gas line problems and died right outside the station. They fixed it, and as I remember, were fairly reasonable. I had a similar problem two days later, however, and they kept the car for 2 days and couldn't find the problem. They were honest about it and didn't charge me anything for those 2 days. My problem was intermittent, though, and they couldn't make the car die for them. I would probably use them again if the occasion arose. Ellen - - - - - - - - - Return-Path: Received: ID ; 7 Aug 84 12:39:08 EDT Date: 7 Aug 84 12:35:52 EDT From: David Black@CMU-CS-A Subject: Re: Merge Motors service To: Roy Taylor See the department guide to Pittsburgh for some really disparaging comments about them. [seems they do real well with BMW's and Volvo's, but arent' to be trusted with anything more plebian than that.] --Dave - - - - - - - - - Return-Path: Received: from CMU-CS-IUS.ARPA by CMU-CS-A.ARPA; 7 Aug 84 13:30:17 EDT Date: Tuesday, 7 August 1984 13:27:17 EDT From: Steven.Shafer@cmu-cs-ius.arpa To: Roy.Taylor@cmu-cs-a.arpa Subject: Re: Car service Message-ID: <1984.8.7.17.24.22.Steven.Shafer@cmu-cs-ius.arpa> In-Reply-To: <07Aug84.111810.RT70@CMU-CS-A.ARPA> Roy -- I'm sorry, but I don't generally keep the AAA newsletter. I do know that no other neighborhood mechanic was listed as of a few months ago for general auto work. -- Steve - - - - - - - - - Return-Path: Received: ID ; 7 Aug 84 13:33:39 EDT Date: 7 Aug 84 13:22:38 EDT From: Rex Dwyer@CMU-CS-A Subject: Re: Merge Motors service To: Roy Taylor Harry (Bovik, I assumed) knows nothing because they've only been at thta location for a couple of months -- it used to be a Mobil station. We take our car to Superior on Alderson, sort of behind Poli's Restaurant. It's not quite as close. We're happy with our treatment there, though. I'd be interested in knowing what you learn about Merge. -- Rex - - - - - - - - - Return-Path: Received: from CMU-CS-IUS.ARPA by CMU-CS-A.ARPA; 7 Aug 84 17:41:26 EDT Date: 7 Aug 1984 17:34:53-EDT From: Peter.Highnam@CMU-CS-IUS To: Roy.Taylor@a Subject: Merge garage. Probably have the highest labour costs of any garage that I have been forced to use in Pgh. I guess that the parts I've bought through them have been correctly priced though I haven't checked. My car is a Ford Maverick, which they had no reservations about working on. Ptr. - - - - - - - - - Return-Path: Received: ID ; 7 Aug 84 20:52:18 EDT Date: 7 Aug 84 2052 EDT (Tuesday) From: Daniel.Duchamp@CMU-CS-A.ARPA To: roy.taylor@CMU-CS-A.ARPA Subject: Merge Motors rep Message-Id: <07Aug84.205234.DD91@CMU-CS-A.ARPA> Note that in Brian Reid's guide to living in Pittsburgh, Merge Motors is the only place that he specifically recommends you NOT go to. -- Dan - - - - - - - - - Return-Path: Received: from CMU-EE-FARADAY.ARPA by CMU-CS-A.ARPA; 8 Aug 84 12:00:41 EDT Received: by cmu-ee-faraday (4.12/4.7) id ; Wed, 8 Aug 84 12:01:21 edt; Date: Wednesday, 8 August 1984 12:01:18 EDT Sender: Beth.Dirkes@cmu-ee-faraday From: Beth.Dirkes@cmu-ee-faraday.ARPA To: rt70@cmu-cs-a.ARPA Subject: garage Message-Id: <1984.8.8.15.59.21.Beth.Dirkes@cmu-ee-faraday> i have found koskoden's garage on murray to be very responsible (gets the work done when they say they will, and if there is any problem with the work they've done, they'll make good) - - - - - - - - - Return-Path: Received: from CMU-CS-GANDALF.ARPA by CMU-CS-A.ARPA; 9 Aug 84 00:59:24 EDT Date: 9 Aug 1984 00:59:52-EDT From: Robert.Ellison@CMU-CS-GANDALF To: roy.taylor@cmu-cs-a Subject: merge motors Roy, My only experience with Merge was good. They are expensive and I know of at least one person who did not get satisfactory service. Bob - - - - - - - - - Return-Path: Received: ID ; 9 Aug 84 03:03:35 EDT Date: 9 Aug 84 03:02:24 EDT From: Tom Lane@CMU-CS-A Subject: Re: Merge Motors service To: Roy Taylor I seem to recall a negative comment about Merge in the Guide to Pittsburgh. Don't know how old the experience behind it is. - - - - - - - - - Return-Path: Received: from CMU-CS-C.ARPA by CMU-CS-A.ARPA; 11 Aug 84 11:39:32 EDT Received: ID ; Sat 11 Aug 84 11:41:08-EDT Date: Sat, 11 Aug 1984 11:41 EDT Message-ID: Sender: FAHLMAN@CMU-CS-C.ARPA From: "Scott E. Fahlman" To: Roy Taylor@CMU-CS-A.ARPA Subject: Merge Motors service In-reply-to: Msg of 7 Aug 1984 10:14-EDT from Roy Taylor at CMU-CS-A We used Merge Motors for a couple of years, but gradually got fed up and haven't been back in the last year or so. They seem to fix things competently when they get around to it -- at least, the little things our car needed got fixed -- but they are very lax about trying to get the job done when they say they'll get it done, and on several occasions they took a very long time to get replacement parts that other garages could get quickly. What finally tore it was a time when, two days in a row, they didn't even get around to looking at our car, despite promises that it would be done by the end of the first day. They weren't even apologetic about it. It was our only car, and not having it available on the third day screwed us badly. I think they're probably OK if you've got a spare car and don't particularly care when the repair gets done. I note that they've flushed the gas station business and have become a garage only. Maybe their ability to get work done on time has improved. -- Scott - - - - End forwarded messages - - - -