Originally Posted by
OakAshandThorn
Wow, great photos, nothing like cruising down down memory lane :cool:
As to the car issues, I don't know how repairs are done in Europe, but in the States, you have the option of getting repairs done from the car dealer, or you can go to independent garages. Most dealers will try to rope you into "staying loyal" to them, and that getting something fixed at another place not "approved" by them might make your vehicle fail, or whatever nonsense the can think of. The truth is that the folks at independent garages are just as knowledgeable if not more so than the dealer's repairmen - what's more, the independent folks often charge MUCH less than the dealers do. It does help if you can find an independent garage that specialises in fixing up the brand of car you have, but not necessary. Consumer Reports made a comparison of average repair costs between dealerships and independent garages, and for most repairs, the independent guys charge 20-40% less than the dealer....pretty significant.