Mechanic / Repair Shop Recommendation Wanted -- Long Island

[StevenF]

I have been using a fantastic mechanic in NY (Rheinland Motors) but he is quite a distance from my home and I am not sure how long he is going to be in business as he is getting on in years.

As we know, unless you have a mechanic that truly understands our cars, any shop that states "European Specialists" are hard to trust...unless recommended. 

Please advise...

Regards
Steven

[StevenF]

Am I the  only Pagoda owner who lives in Long Island?

I need help here!

[lowpad]

Not sure if this helps, but I use Wolfgang’s in Teaneck NJ.  Not exactly LI, but not too far.  You could also ask H&R Fuel Injection in Bohemia whom they recommend as they handle FI rebuilds for many northeast dealers. 

[John Betsch - "SADIE"]

I sent a PM twice (if I did it right)
JB

[StevenF]

Thank you for your response.  I hear nothing but great things about Wolfgang's...but way to far from me.
I also called H&R and the learned that Hanz passed away in 2018 and they really didn't have any solid recommendations.

I will continue to look.

[jim 56]

I don't know if this helps because I didn't bring my car to him yet because of Corona.I called H&R a couple of weeks ago and talked to someone about my mechanical fuel injection.He was very nice and told me that they take the injection pump off the car and put it on a dyano and and adjust everything.

[Benz280]

Have used Wolfgang for years on various cars, in addition to knowing all aspects of vintage MB's, he has all the special tools.
Mary & Rich run the show, good people.   

[lowpad]

Steven,

Not sure if this helps you (and doesn't help right now obviously), but Enterprise has a location right next to Wolfgang's.  There is also a bus to Port Authority from Teaneck and from there you can get a train.  I live in CT and still go them.  A one-day, one-way Enterprise rental costs about $100.   Not cheap, but far cheaper than a bad repair!

Lowell

[Benz280]

Thanks Lowell good call, That's exactly how I have done it, for a longer repair I have done a one-way rental.
Let me just mention another repair source , Eurotech in Edgewater NJ ( Zenop ) This guy knows 113 inside and out. Last time I saw him he was tidying up an original 1970 280SL with only 6,500 original miles. 
 

[StevenF]

Thanks guys but Tenafly is still to far for me.
I have 2 fellow Pagoda guys that recommended Richies...I am going to give them a try

[tradjim]

Where is Richies

[StevenF]

Richies is in Farmingdale but actually I found another mechanic that I am going to use....he came VERY highly recommended.
His name Jeff Kellndorfer.  I spoke with him and I am VERY confident in his abilities.  Jeff is in Huntington

[PaulS]

I just acquire a 280SL, am on Shelter Island. Did you have a good experience with the mechanic in Huntington?

[lowpad]

Showed my 230SL at the Shelter Island car show in 2019 -- hope do it again.  Great show.

[Rolf-Dieter ✝︎]

Hi Steven,

If I was in your shoes I would explore 3 possible avenues.

1) our site here is a great way to start and hopefully you will have someone near you let you know a garage he/she uses.

2) To find Members in the NY State area open this site Members> select Memberlisting once the spreadsheet opens click on “Location” ‘‘this will sort the entire spreadsheet for you by location, then click on or near Page 45. On my iPad I see Members from the State of NY on the bottom of page 45, the full page 46 and some more on top of Pge 47. Check those pages for Members near your location. You can (PM) post a private Message to a Member near you and find out we’re he/she takes there car.

3) I would use google and search for (Euro / German Classic Garage or Euro Car Maintenance). I did this when I was driving BMW’s in my younger days. If you find some shops call them, most employ trained mechanics if your lucky from the OEM.

good luck,

Dieter

[StevenF]

good advice!

[mdsalemi]

On Broadway near Park Avenue in Huntington Station (very near PianoTek--look them up) there used to be a foreign auto repair place, just a few years ago. It had been there for many years. Lots of BMWs and a number of older Euro cars outside (Alfas, MB, etc.) including some Pagodas now and then. I don't know if they closed or moved. Might try calling Gerhards, Worldwide or The Little Garage (all in Huntington). Maybe they can help OR maybe they know what happened to the other place, or maybe they even know where the mechanics are...

[peterm]

Lou at Gullwing motors in Mineola knows quite a bit about the pagoda and has done much of my work  Im sure hes learned a thing or two from my car as well

[StevenF]

Peter,
Lou is not the guy for me.
When I first bought my Pagoda , I brought it to him so that he could give me an estimate on a paint job.
Over the phone (with 15-20 images) he told me the 10-12 k range --which was in line with all the other prices I was receiving at the time.
When I showed him the car---he priced me at 25k....which was ridiculous being that it wasn't a body off job.

I laughed and he lost a client.  Others have told me that he became expensive over the past fews since the Pagoda market got hot.
Anyone who can price a job at 10-12 and go to 25 is a rapist.

Steven

[w113NY]

Take the ferry to Connecticut and drive up to Gernold at SL-Tech. The best or nothing...

[mdsalemi]

Mechanic/Repair shop, and qualified Body Shop (for paint) are two different things.

There are some larger shops that can, and do, both. Others are one or the other. There is a lot of routine mechanical work that many qualified independent repair shops familiar with German cars can handle; it's some of the nuanced things like the fuel injection that experience comes in. Any good body shop with experience in painting higher-end foreign can do a Pagoda. They just may need a little help and guidance--but prep of the car, spray, block/sand are the same pretty much regardless.

Start making some phone calls to others with older Mercedes around; poke around on other forums. Do a little sleuthing with the information I gave you for the places in Huntington; I used to see Pagodas there, so those mechanics went somewhere.. Don't be afraid to take a ride, see and talk to these folks and network.

If Lou is too costly, I don't think you want to go to Gernold...and while w113NY suggests taking the ferry he's still a long way from New London or Bridgeport!

[w113NY]

It’s a really nice drive. Super scenic, stop for a lobster roll or spend a few days in Kennebunkport ...he has pretty much every part you might need in stock...do your oil changes on Long Island...