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Thread: SE WI: Reputable Service Shops (Detailing, Service, Tinting, Etc)

  1. #51
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    What about reputable Madison shops? I've been getting a lot of emails asking for a BMW CCA recommended Madison shop. As far as I know we don't have one. Who the best Euro-Independent in the Madison area?

    I've heard good things about Kelly Moss (expensive) and Phoenix. Who else?

  2. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by dustent View Post
    What about reputable Madison shops? I've been getting a lot of emails asking for a BMW CCA recommended Madison shop. As far as I know we don't have one. Who the best Euro-Independent in the Madison area?

    I've heard good things about Kelly Moss (expensive) and Phoenix. Who else?
    Earlier in the thread, Slowman posted Foreign Car Specialist:

    Quote Originally Posted by slowman View Post
    I've always recommended Foreign Car Specialists in Madison, WI. Chris Beebe has owned the shop since 1968, and is very familiar with BMW's. Ask him to see his vintage BMW Isetta! They know what they are doing for sure. I would ask specifically if Chris or George can work on your car. One time my engine was running a little rough, I asked Chris about it and he told me to start the car and pop the hood. He put his ear down near the cylinder head and proclaimed the #3 spark plug to be misfiring. So we put a new one in... and sure enough, it solved the problem. This guy knows cars.

    I worked there for about 8 months last year, so I know the shop pretty well.

    Foreign Car Specialists
    1313 Regent St.
    Madison, WI 53715
    608-255-3441

    Don't even consider taking your car to Zimbrick BMW in Madison. Those guys are hacks, and will bend you over with the bill. They price gouge badly, even if you just go in to buy parts!
    Beatniks recommended (well mentioned) Kelly Moss, which you referenced and Mike Polley, who is indeed a member here. IDK his Screen Name but his brother (I think) Chuck - his SN is OBD1 2.8L

    Quote Originally Posted by beatniks325 View Post
    nice to see you posting ryan. thanks for the call today, long time no hear from ya...

    edit to make this post worthly of being in a sticky thread.

    kelly moss motorsports here in madison was recommended to me by a couple people through the years.

    i would also recommend mike polley, he is a member here but pretty busy so plan accordingly if you're going to try to reach him.
    Also, I cannot speak to Slowman's comment regarding Zimbrick, however I di work @ their Acura store in Brookfield and they are extremely professional. FWIW, Josh (NewmanJ) works at Zimbrick Benz as a tech.

    I don't know about Milwaukee, much less Madison. I guess that comes from having a car that doesn't need repairs.

  3. #53
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    Quote Originally Posted by straight6pwr View Post
    they overcharge as well. basically i TOLD them what was wrong (alternator was dead) and they still did a $100 inspection to see what was wrong. the inspection list was funny- blah blah check these wires, blah blah check intake boot blah blah blah and then last checked alternator output FAILED. they then charged me $220 service to change it (its a 45min job tops) and i asked for an oil change and they gave me some 3k mile service and charge $50 for it.
    Quote Originally Posted by david55838 View Post
    Here's a good one:

    I brought my S50 E30 Cab replica in because it flunked emissions and they're the only 'approved' emissions repair facility that I knew worked on Bimmers. $200 to check it over including a road test (mileage was exactly the same as when I brought it in). The diagnosis? It needed new cats fabricated for my unique car. Cost? Are you sitting down? With tax, close to $4k!!!! Bye,bye. The car ended up passing with a can of 'Guaranteed to Pass' and an understanding DMV worker.

    Milwaukee is a small town. Shops get reputations....
    I usually meet up w/ the President of Badger Bimmers weekly - Anyway she was saying that the owner of O' Riely (sp) has never had a working car after a DE. Apparently his engines have gone out during the session.

    Take it FWIW - I am not commenting on his service or work.

  4. #54
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    I recently referred a CCA member to Foreign Car Specialists in Madison and he let me know that the shop is now closed. So that leaves Kelly Moss and the Zimbrick dealerships. I was hoping someone had at least one other independent to add to the list. I don't mind recommending the dealer, but they can be expensive.

  5. #55
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    Quote Originally Posted by dustent View Post
    I recently referred a CCA member to Foreign Car Specialists in Madison and he let me know that the shop is now closed. So that leaves Kelly Moss and the Zimbrick dealerships. I was hoping someone had at least one other independent to add to the list. I don't mind recommending the dealer, but they can be expensive.

    Mike and Chuck Polley?

  6. #56
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    Quote Originally Posted by sachin528 View Post
    Mike and Chuck Polley?
    I think Mike is working at a dealership outside of Chicago now and Chuck is working at Middleton Ford. They are great resources but aren't exactly a "shop" that I would want to refer a stranger to.

    After going through some more threads I found Chuck made this post:
    Quote Originally Posted by OBD1 2.8L View Post
    My garage. I dont trust anyone around here. If you want to go to a shop, go to bennets in middleton and have Matt P. work on your car. He has a 88 M5 which he built a full race motor. Him and I did the turbo build on my car.

    -Chuck
    And this:
    Quote Originally Posted by nort0188 View Post
    I've heard good things about Dunn's Import in Middleton (from a non-car guy though).
    Last edited by dustent; 01-04-2008 at 02:18 PM.

  7. #57
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    I'm a little farther north up in Sheboygan county, but there's Meyer Imports in Sheboygan Falls. Has done the AC work and a clutch on my 328is. He's not real fast (it's a two man shop) and not overly pricey. The clutch, with a Sachs oem and shifter bushings was a week and $920. For me it's just handy, I can drop off the car and walk to work. Other people I've talked to say he'll find the best price on parts. I don't think he stocks a lot of parts because he deals with so many brands of cars. He is Bosch certified.

    Gave away my BMWs, driving a VW and an Audi now.

  8. #58
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    where to take my BMW for service in St.Paul minneapolis area?

  9. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by viswanathmenon View Post
    where to take my BMW for service in St.Paul minneapolis area?
    You might try creating your own thread - this thread lists Wisconsin shops only.

  10. #60
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    Zinovi Motor Cars best body shop in the world. www.zinovimotorcars.com
    Emotion based ignorance.

  11. #61
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    just read this thread for the first time and I'd like to add that Riverside Auto on the east side of Milwaukee is a hidden gem. I do most of my own work but I take my cars to them for alignments. My e30 has one adjustment for an alignment and they know it, they charged me $59+tax to align the car and adjust my camber plates to my requested setting. They are top notch, honest, and totally straightforward.

    I'm in the process of doing a fully adjustable rear suspension and new front camber plates in my e30 track car, they will get it for an alignment in the spring, I wouldn't take it anywhere else ever. O'Reilly's quoted me $250 for the same alignment and wouldn't budge on the price despite my assurance that it was only a two wheel front alignment I was after.

    I hate Little Car Shop...they have turned into hacks. Alpine Imports and European Autohouse I've had good experiences with, but I do most of my own work, I usually take it to Alpine for convenience when I'm lazy.

  12. #62
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    Had an appointment this week at Alpine and was called and told they will be shutting their doors. Sounds like the owner has a severe health problem and is in a hospice. Sorry to hear....

  13. #63
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    Quote Originally Posted by GoldenEagleFan View Post
    Had an appointment this week at Alpine and was called and told they will be shutting their doors. Sounds like the owner has a severe health problem and is in a hospice. Sorry to hear....
    The owner of Alpine recently passed away and Alpine will be closing their doors.

  14. #64
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    Quote Originally Posted by sachin528 View Post
    The owner of Alpine recently passed away and Alpine will be closing their doors.
    Denis passed away on Feb. 27th. He was a nice, friendly guy and an honest and competent mechanic. RIP, he will be missed.
    I spent most of my money on cars and beer... The rest I pretty much wasted.

  15. #65
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    Quote Originally Posted by slow323Ci View Post
    Denis passed away on Feb. 27th. He was a nice, friendly guy and an honest and competent mechanic. RIP, he will be missed.
    Sad times. He was a good guy. Evil pancreatic cancer.
    '87 325(stock) work in progress....lots of work...not a lot of progress....

  16. #66
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    We got a shop down on the east side of milwaukee, but im in madison very often... could even stop out by some guys if you need work done to quick throw an estimate out there. Were pretty packed for work but always can make room for more! We do custom fabrication as well which is a good chunk of the work we do. I gotta finish getting our site up so you can see the kinda work we do!

  17. #67
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    Quote Originally Posted by sachin528 View Post
    The owner of Alpine recently passed away and Alpine will be closing their doors.
    There are still talks about people buying the shop. Its at such a low price for everything the shop has that people have been calling about it a lot lately. Hopefully someone buys it up and it can keep its doors open! They are still doing lots of work actually, and some of you could get an appointment if you call them when they aren't super busy. Just a heads up!
    1999 Ford CSVT
    [ SOLD ] 1986 BMW 535i

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  18. #68
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    I need a shop that'll do custom exhaust/fab work! Anyone know of anything??? I've looked all over the place and can't really find a decent shop that does custom welding/exhaust stuff.
    1999 Ford CSVT
    [ SOLD ] 1986 BMW 535i

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  19. #69
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    Something quiet
    If you don't mind the Spanish ghetto, Velasquez and Sons Mufflers for Less does quality cheap work. They're near 16th (Caesar Chavez) and National.

  20. #70
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andx0r View Post
    I've never taken a BMW there, but I've had nothing but good experiences when I've bought my Volvo to:

    Import Specialists
    2121 Ole Davidson Rd (Highway 31/Green Bay Road), Racine, WI 53405 Phone: (262) 638-8788

    They specialize in the big German 3, as well as Volvo, Saab, and Subaru. Very friendly, knowledgeable guys, competitive (but not dirt cheap) prices, and excellent work. The shop is kind of a small place, but they seem to do quite a business. The first time I went there they had an E24 M6 and a 560SEL on the lifts.
    Took my car here for an oil change and inspection after buying it. They did a good job. I have never tested there knowledge though. Maybe I should with a nagging issues I am having.

    Never take your car to Motor Technology in Racine. Had them mount tires for $30 for the front and $40 for the rear and they handed me a bill for $209 for this price I would expect quality. Well the quality of work I got was duck tape weights and a brand new set of scratched rims.

  21. #71
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    Quote Originally Posted by UtorVita View Post
    There are still talks about people buying the shop. Its at such a low price for everything the shop has that people have been calling about it a lot lately. Hopefully someone buys it up and it can keep its doors open! They are still doing lots of work actually, and some of you could get an appointment if you call them when they aren't super busy. Just a heads up!
    I just stopped in at Alpine today and the place was crazy busy.
    I spent most of my money on cars and beer... The rest I pretty much wasted.

  22. #72
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    Yea man, they are still taking crazy business.
    1999 Ford CSVT
    [ SOLD ] 1986 BMW 535i

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  23. #73
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    Just to throw in my two cents' worth: Alpine's always been a good experience for me. They know their stuff, they're honest, they don't mind if you supply your own parts, and their pricing is very reasonable. They even did the custom welding needed to accommodate my new cats.

    Most importantly, they understand my overprotectiveness and maintain a consistent level of service regardless.

  24. #74
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    Just browsing the forums and found this one pretty interesting. I thought I'd throw my opinion out there too. I've been going to the little car shop for quite a while now and as of late have been very disappointed with their work. I just had the radiator replaced and they did the work for me. Recently my dad took my little brother to the car control clinic at Wisconsin state fair parking lot and what do you you know, the car starts smoking and overheating. They apparently do not know how to clamp on radiator tubing so ended up having to go and buy more radiator fluid. Also on the drive home the front right corner falls out on the freeway. I checked it out and the bracket was all busted up, and I had just installed them before the radiator was fixed and the brackets were fine (this part is just speculation, but I'm thinking they knocked it somehow and cracked it). Really their work has gone downhill and charging more. Would recommend avoiding this shop.

    Dan

  25. #75
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    Quote Originally Posted by BMWtrackKID View Post
    Just browsing the forums and found this one pretty interesting. I thought I'd throw my opinion out there too. I've been going to the little car shop for quite a while now and as of late have been very disappointed with their work. I just had the radiator replaced and they did the work for me. Recently my dad took my little brother to the car control clinic at Wisconsin state fair parking lot and what do you you know, the car starts smoking and overheating. They apparently do not know how to clamp on radiator tubing so ended up having to go and buy more radiator fluid. Also on the drive home the front right corner falls out on the freeway. I checked it out and the bracket was all busted up, and I had just installed them before the radiator was fixed and the brackets were fine (this part is just speculation, but I'm thinking they knocked it somehow and cracked it). Really their work has gone downhill and charging more. Would recommend avoiding this shop.

    Dan
    yea they have been going downhill lately from what i hear
    1997 328ic
    1999 528i

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