South Florida Auto Shop Contact List and Reviews

[hooRAH]

So I had a little extra time at the computer and I thought I would make the thread we were talking about to reference and review local South Florida BMW shops.

I figure the best way to keep it organized is for each person that posts a shop can or a review I will edit my post and add their response. Depending on how big the thread gets, I'll post a few of my own posts below so that I can add things and have it all stay at the top.

To start out:
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Shop Name: Avenue Imports
Shop Phone: 561-588-6811
Contact: Rick
Specialty: BMW / Volvo
Location: Georgia Ave & Forest Hill Blvd, Lake Worth
Type of Work: General Maintenance/Repairs. Has limited used parts from scrapyard. Can do A/C work. Does not do tires/alignment.

My review:

I've known Rick for quite some time, ever since I got my first car (Volvo) at 16. Rick has always treated me great and never once recommended a service that wasn't needed. They have some really knowledgable BMW master techs working for them that really know their stuff. A majority of their work these days is from E36s, E34s, and E38s.

That said, their quality of late has not been up to par, and the shops best asset, Rick, is retiring soon. The management team taking over is okay (new service manager is Tim Jr, the owner's son), but its not the outstanding customer service that used to be there.

Also, the last time I was there, I thought I was billed a bit on the high side for the work I had done. Granted, it wasn't work they usually do, and it WAS a difficult job, but I just got a little sticker shock when I got the bill. They were pretty slow at the time, I dunno if they padded the bill a bit or if it was the new management, but it just wasn't something I was expecting. At the same time, they also put my car up on the lift twice in the same time frame to help me inspect it at no charge, so there are good and bad points to being low on work.

My advice - try them out with something simple like an oil change or a coolant expansion tank, and see how they treat you and if you like them. They're doing a lot to clean the shop up (it needs it) and would love to hear some other people's reviews.

My Second Review:

I took my 01 330Ci to Rick at Avenue to have the stock CABs pressed out and the powerflex CABs pressed in. This is well within the scope of things I do myself, but decided I wanted a little time off from the and that I would pay someone to do it since I thought it was a simple job.
The guy at the shop, Dave (whom is supposed to be a BMW certified Master Tech), pressed them in backwards. In his defense, I never told him which way they went in, and oddly enough, there were no printed instructions in the box from bimmerworld. That said, any idiot could figure out how the 2 piece design worked and which way they went in. On top of that, as he was performing the work, the tech, Dave, told me I couldn't be in the bay for insurance reasons - so I told him if he had any questions to come get me.
So, driving home later that day, the bushings separated and I lost one of the cores. Now, I understand people make mistakes, and I'm not upset at him for doing it. What I am upset with was that when I went back and explained that I paid $150 for a service and now had to fix it all myself, their answer was "Oh, that 2 piece bushing is a bad design, thats why it came apart, I don't like those bushigns, its not our fault". The best I could get out of them was a $30 check for the core that I lost, they wouldn't cover anything else. By they, I mean the owner and his son, Tim and Tim Jr.
Unfortunately, I was not able to deal with the manager, Rick, for the refund, as he wasn't there that day. I feel that every time I go to that shop, I leave happy if I deal with Rick, and I leave quite upset if I have to talk to Tim or his son.

I believe the experience they (shop as a whole) have in working on cars is marginal at best. Without going into great detail, if you have a complicated problem and you decide to go there, you better make sure Dave (or another BMW tech) is working on the car. Some of the other hired hands have no business working on peoples cars, but thats just my opinion.
Bottom line is that I will never, ever go back to this shop. Proceed with caution.
On a more positive note, they (Rick) reset my airbag light for free. I can't imagine anyone other than Rick wouldn't charge for something simple like that.

Belligerent's Review:

Avenue Imports , was a great little shop , they did a great job on the work on my car . Rick , is really nice to work with and talk to about any problem you mught have . but it will have to be seen whether a new guy will continue the great customer service.
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Shop Name: European Fine Cars -
Location: Spanish River and Dixie Highway, Boca Raton, FL
Phone:
Contact:
Specialty:

SergeK's Review:

These guys also do great work, however they do not do anything aftermarket such as aftermarket suspensions or performance parts. But for maintanence, they get the job done. Giovanni is a great guy and knows his stuff. For about two months, Taseal was having problems with his 325i. SOmetimes it wouldnt start, sometimes it would. It would run like ass and what not. Weve replaced the Fuel pump, fuel filter, spark plugs, and the crank sensor... Twice.

We finally took it to the shop. They must have done atleast 10 hours of work... But only charged him about 400-500$. Their labor rate is 75$ an hour last i checked.

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Foreign Affairs (Relation to above?)
Location: Military Trail (More info please)

Submitted by Mattr328i:

there is a foreign affairs on military. i don't reccommend it though.

http://www.foreignaffairsauto.com/index-frame.html

i took my e36 there for some work when i didnt have time to work on it and they replaced a broken engine fan with a defective one, (gave me a new one for free) but when putting on new engine fan the fucker did not know how to put my front end together. when i got home i inspected his work and saw a coupld screws missing, on part called an 'air duct' but its not an air duct was put in completely wrong, looks like he cut it in half to make it/force it to fit. the place fucking sucks. i am never taking my car there again. i won't take it to a place where i have to inspect their work after....i had to take off front bumper,nosepanel,etc... to fix their mis-installation.

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Shop Name: RTR Motorsports
Location: Jupiter, FL
Website: http://www.rtrmotorsports.com/
http://motorsports-group.com


Submitted by Bimmer213:

I recommend RTR Motorsports In Jupiter, http://www.rtrmotorsports.com/
I met the owner at a PBOC event, He's a great guy. Had a big on track breakdown and his guys fixed my car and got me back up and running the same day so I wouldn't miss the rest of the event. Really awesome guys and they know their stuff.

Submitted by Specialtyauto: I went to http://www.motorsports-group.com/ which you guys have listed as rgr motorsports but it was awesome.They did awesome work fabbing up a rear subframe fix for a m coupe top notch stuff

Submitted by drummerboybisch: However, a light is at the end of the tunnel. The Motorsports Group in Jupiter is amazing. Brought my car in after a conversation with Jay M. I proceeded to spend two hours with Jay and Tim talking about my car and problems. We went on two test drives with Jay driving my car. THey wanted to eliminate the wheel/tires from the situation so they grabbed rims off their shelf and mounted on my car for another test drive. Sure enough they ended up figuring out that it was most likely a front wheel bearing which they replaced the following week. In two hours, which they did not charge me for, they found my problem and sure enough fixed it so the shake is almost non-existent.

These guys are true enthusiasts as each one races and works on the cars at the shop with their one specialty. Easy to get a hold of by phone or email. Will talk with you in the shop with the vehicle on the lift to show you issues and strong customer service. If anyone needs service in Northern Palm Beach, i recommend taking your car to these guys. Hourly labor rate is $125/hour. Not bad for a high performance, aftermarket BMW shop.

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Shop Name: All European Auto
Location: US1 and A1A, Jupiter, FL
Website:


Submitted by DigitalDawn: I've had bad experiences at All European as well. Stay away.

Submitted by drummerboybisch: I just dropped my car off at All European Auto on A1A in jupiter. Its right near where US 1, A1A come together by the jupiter inlet. Ill let you know how it goes. I had a friend take his e30 3 series there and they got it running really well and he said it looked like they did good service. Thats close to PBG.

Submitted by drummerboybisch: ...relatively horrible experience with the people at All European Auto. I brought my car in for a steering wheel shake and $3,000 later still have a shake, yet not i have a new radiator, ignition switch, A/C unit etc. After I left, i noticed they had taken off my license plate frame and replaced it with one of theirs. Not the end of the world, but a customer should get the choice if you are stealing my stuff and placing your advertising on my vehicle. My A/C system about 5 mins from their shop shut off and stopped working. Got home and realized it blew a fuse. Swapped fuses and tried to see if it worked. Within about 10 mins blew another fuse after driving around the neighborhood. Swapped fuses again with no avail. This one blew almost instantly. Obviously there is a short in all the systems they swapped. Proceeded to call and explain what happened. The owner agreed to look at the car. So i brought it back and the mechanic proceeded to argue with me saying he is master technician and does not make mistakes. We are human bud, we all make mistakes whether you have master in front of your title or not is what Im thinking. Anyways he proceeds to blame the short on my aftermarket parts. I told him I have had HID lights in here for almost 8 years and never had a problem. You worked on my car and i blow fuses for my A/C system after you were swapping parts in the A/C system. He refuses to accept that an answer and i told the owner that i do not want to deal with the mechanic anymore. Anyways they proceeded to look at the car and say my ignition switch was going and needed to be replaced. So they swapped that and it solved the fuse issue. But after bringing in my car for a steering wheel shake, I have a brand new cooling system and some motor mounts and still a shake. Needless to say the owner argued with me, the mechanic argued with me, always telling me I am wrong and do not know anything about my vehicle. Great customer service!!! BS!

SO do not go to All European Auto in Jupiter. Not worth the hassle, time and money.




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Shop Name: Kurt's European Autoworks
Location: 1885 SW 4th Ave Bldg E5
Delray Beach, FL 33444
Website:

Submitted by Scoop113:

They did my pre-purchase inspection. Nice people, knew their stuff, and price was more than fair. They found a couple of minor problems and gave me good quotes to fix them.
I wouldn't hesitate to use them if they weren't so far away from me. (They were close to the seller's house.) Even so, I might still take my car to them when I need pros.

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Shop Name: Road N Race
Location: 4684 Dyer Blvd, WPB FL, 33407
Website: http://www.roadnrace.com/
Contact Name: Peter Shadowen
Phone: 561-845-6640

Submitted by TheM3nsah: very very very good at what he does, he may take a little while to get some jobs done if your his friend like i am, but oh my god the quality is superb. i have never had a problem with any car after taking it to him. he does everything from to full race car conversions.

[hooRAH]

Ft. Lauderdale (Broward County) Shops:
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Shop Name: German Autos
Shop Phone: 954-781-9510
Contact: Peter
Specialty: BMW
Location: 3401 NE 6th Terrace Pompano Beach, FL 33064
Type of Work: Anything BMW

Submitted by Bimmer Freaks:

By far the best mechanic in South Florida. I took my cars to a bunch of other independents and the local dealers and all I can say is Pete is the last true good mechanic who does the work right the first time. He is a certified BMW master tech that worked at Vista and branched off to start his own garage. I've sat with him plenty of times and watched him work under my cars and he does it by the book and his rates are great. I believe in the $70's/hr. I have owned numerous BMW's ranging from an e31 840 to an e30 325is and he has kept them running perfect. My problem is that I can't buy another car besides a BMW now because I don't trust anyone else which isn't a bad thing. I floated all around to other shops and have been a loyal customer of Pete's for the last 5 years. 2 thumbs way up!!!

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Ultimate Euro Repairs
2011 SW 70th Ave. Unit #A1
Davie, FL 33025
Tel. 954-475-0225 , Fax 954-475-0498
Specializing in BMW, Mercedes, VW/Audi, Porsche and other european makes

Submitted by TopShotta02:

They have all the factory tools(GT1, SSS, MB basic2), and mostly do general service and repairs as well as coding and programming, light resets.....

They also dabble a bit in the high-performance game, but they target high end customers who dont mind paying for the meticulous work

Submitted by BigG:

!RECOMMENDED!

Submitted by joako:

Also forgot in Davie there's a place called Ultimate Euro Repairs they are a family business with about 5 service bays. When I was there the owner Raul Bengolea was dealing with the customers and his son was working there They stand by their work I called them one day and the next morning I dropped off my VW to change the camshaft seal on the 1.8t engine... those timing belts are a bitch to do and they had it to me same day mid-afternoon. Normally I do my own work but like I said those belts are a bitch have to remove the wheel, bumper, fuel lines, coolant lines, jack the engine and a few more things. They were able to diagnose the problem another shop told me it was the headgasket. They are mainly BMW/Benz shop if I recall correctly.

Submitted by DocSoc: I just went to Ultimate Euro in Davie Florida and let me tell you that Raul is a really nice old fella! He was polite and despite me walking in on his lunch he sent me away with the confidence that he would call me with the info on the work I wanted without having to wait around. He called me and gave me a fair price for a LOT of work to be done... So I recommend this guy and his family business!!!

He also gave me a number of a good body guy that also respectfully treated me with care and seemed honest about what I needed and price!
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Shop Name: European Transmission Tech
Shop Phone: 305-447-1115
Contact: Felix
Specialty: BMW/Mercedes/Porsche
Location: 3020 SW 38th Ave., Coral Gables FL
Type of Work: He is a transmission specialist. Swaps, rebuilds, etc.

UltimateDrivr's Review:

Its a small shop, with 1 lift. He is a pure transmission guy, he has hundreds of trannys all over the shop. When i got there he was working on a 635csi so he knows about the older ones too.

His prices were reasonable. He did excellent work. I was there for the 2nd have of my transmission swap. He didnt mind i was right under the lift with him. He cleaned all my old parts before reusing them. And just generally swapped it out quickly.

He seems very knowlegable...he was rebuilding a massive Porsche tranny when i got there.

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Shop Name: Redline Motorsports
Website: http://www.redline-racing.com/
Address: 114 N.E. 48th Street,
Pompano Beach, FL 33064
Phone: (954)783-7003
Contact: Rennie Bryant

Belligerent's Review:

I guess has been going through some changes lately , but I havent been there for maybe a year ...

but , when I was there , the mechanics were great , ( some blonde dude Tom, i think) , Rennie was nice .
They did a good job with the minor work. Looks like they really know bmws . they basically work on bimmers all day ...
But, i dont want to bad mouth the whole shop, but i stopped takin my car there after a friend got his car back form them for fender rolling , from the body shop. Well he said he even paid through the redline desk and Rennie saw it and they F*cted his car up. I told him to contact a laywer. it was bad ... So I just couldnt go there again.

SergeK's Review:

Ive taken my car to redline for the past year or so. They are going through some changes. One of which is their labor fee went up from 85 an hour to 98. It is quite significant but the work they do is great. Tim (blonde haired guy mentioned before) is a great mechanic and knows the cars in and out. Rennie is another great dude who really takes the time to sit down with you and talk your project over. For example, im getting ready to swap my transmission... i have a ton of questions and concerns, and i stop by about once a week to plan things out and order parts.

Even when the shop is busy, he'll take the time to help you out.

Egyptntree's Review:

This is an excellent shop. I have taken my car to them numerous times and have even done a clutch and flywheel swap with them. The are great and even let you watch them work on your car. Tim is actually the owner along with Rennie and Tim is always in the back working on the cars.

Submitted by Volan: Rennie, the owner, is a great guy and he seems to have gathered a bunch of good techies. They do have the traditional mechanic approach (way laid back) and the facility is a mess, but they know what they are doing, and they are great guys. They don't mind folks looking at their work and checking things out. They only do BMWs and they know them quite well, no matter year of production. Definitely recommended- just watch out for any laid-back/laziness prone unintentional mistakes...
Scorecard: Attitude:9/10, Service and Competency: 9/10, Prices: 8/10

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Shop Name: The BMW Shop
Website:
Address: ??? NE 1st Ave
Pompano Beach, FL
Phone: ???
Contact: Frank (More info please)

Forwarded from LeDerek:

i went to the "bmw shop" in pompano beach on ne1st ave

i found it on the forums...frank was a great mechanic, and had my car (clutch job, oil change) in and out in less than 2 days

all in all a great experience

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Shop Name: Bowla Motorworks
Website:
Address: I95 and Oakland Park (Maybe some more info please?)
Phone: ???
Contact: Al (More info please)

Submitted by bigjoe87865: great work... small little job but does it right and affordable!...
only complaint I have is , his shop is a bit far from my house... and that its better to call him and make an appoinment since he is a small shop... he might already have cars in there. all in all... great guy... AL is his name

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Shop Name: Foreign Affairs Motorsports
Website:
Address:
Pompano Beach, FL
Phone:
Contact:

Submitted by Volan: The guy(Bob) didn't even give me a chance to get to the shop- he specifically said no warranty for parts provided by customers and that he very seldom installs something that he doesn't provide. I tried getting more information, but he never replied back. Correspondence was via email regarding suspension component installation. I know he is considered a tuner celebrity in South Fla by Porsche owners, but come on...
Scorecard: Attitude = 0/10, didnt get to test the rest and probably never will

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Shop Name: KAR-BAR PEFORMANCE AUTO
Shop Phone: (954) 731-9450
Contact: OTIS
Specialty: BMW
Location: 1766 NW 38TH AVE
FORT LAUDERDALE,FL 33311
Type of Work: General Maintenance/Repairs. Motor Swaps. Performance Tune's. Turbo Charger installs

Submitted by Jamdun17: I'm associated with the shop in the way that I have been going there since it started. The price is fair at 80/hr and the work is excellent, no matter the year of the BMW it can be worked on by them. The work is done in a timely manner and they fight to get you the lowest price on premium parts, something i haven't seen much shops do. Performance tunes and Diagnosis are provided by the Autologic systems, and the motor swaps are handled by the Head Mechanic. Swaps done so far: 1jz into e36 M3, S50 into e36 325i, 4g63 into Mirage, 4g63 into gen 2 eclipse, B18c into USDM Integra.

Submitted by CreekBimmerCi: I can def. put this place "Kar-Bar Performance" in the top level of shops in South Florida. I had a horrible belt problem with my 325 ci and Otis and the whole crew took care of my car within no time. I was embarassed to drive my car down the street because of how loud my belts were sqeaking and vista bmw charges an arm and a leg so I gave them a shot and I def. was not disapointed. The atmosphere is def. a laid back vibe where you can have great conversation with the mechanics and it's an open door policy. If anyone in the area is in need of service or some "love" to their bmw bring it to Kar-Bar Performace you def. will not be disapointed.

[hooRAH]

Miami and Surrounding (Dade County) shops:

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Shop Name: Active Autowerke
www.activeautowerke.com
Location: 9940 sw 168 terr
miami, fl 33157
Phone: 305.233.9300
Contact: Jean
Specialty: BMW force induction specialists

Active Autowerke Reviews:

Egyptntree's Review:

I am very weary of this shop. I had them do a simple task of installing some rear camber arms and to do this the rear differential had to be undone from its mount to access a bolt. When replacing the bolt the tech cross threaded the bolt and due to that the differential started to work its way loose and eventually broke the axle seals and destroyed the rear differential. I took it to BMW and it would not be covered under warranty and even Active took it to BMW near them to get it covered and BMW refused both times stating that someone had cross threaded the bolt. Active would not assume responsibility and I was stuck with a $3400 bill.

Submitted by Volan: I had them install headers and they did a great job -very competent personnel, quick, yet not cheap, although I got a good discounted rate. Sales/customer folks were not too talkative, looked kinda bored, yet again if the service is good, who cares... Facility is very nice, clean and organized and all techs in there seem to love cars. They do have a little "we are the best modders" attitude, then again they do have products to back it up. They don't like folks hanging out at the service area when they work. I recommend this shop for engine mods, or harder installations- but prepare to pay $$$.
Scorecard: Attitude: 7/10, Service and Competency: 10/10, Prices: 7/10

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Shop Name: Mike's Bimmer Shop
Location: South Miami
Phone: 305-661-3311
Contact: Carlos or Mike

Mike's Bimmer Shop Reviews:

Submitted by Bimmer213:

I've always taken my car to Mikes Beemer Shop. Mike himself looks over and works on every car at the shop, he use to be a Master Tech at a local Dealer and then opened this shop for himself. Now they're authorized by bmw as if you take your car to the actual dealer for service or repairs. They're really good people over there, both Carlos and Mike Have helped me out a ton in the past, and their rates are in the $70's so they're not expensive. They're located right next to the University of Miami, around US-1 and 67th Ave

Submitted by GreyMethod:

Mike's Beemer Shop is absolutely amazing.
Mike himself has been working on BMWs since 1984 and definitely knows exactly what he is doing. I took my control arm bushings to him to hav ethem pressed and put onto the arms.
Labor is $87 an hour, but they work quick.
The real thing is how awesome of a guy Mike is. I had trouble getting the arms on my car and brought them back in. He came with me to my house and helped me put them back on. I have never experienced such service from any mechanic.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Submitted by Joako: Re: Mike's Bimmer Shop in South Miami, I had my car towed there because I was having cooling system issues. I go by a little after the tow truck to see if I had to sign anything and just talk with them and explain the issue in more detail.

I took him a bottle of BMW coolant [COLOR=blue ! important][COLOR=blue ! important][/COLOR][/COLOR]and asked that the entire cooling system be flushed while they are in there. Well I get the car back and it still has green coolant. It doesn't even look clean so nothing was flushed, just topped off.

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Tire Supermarket / El Mago del Ponche
6201 SW 8th St
Miami, FL 33144
305-262-9939 / 305-261-0111

Submitted by Joako:

I had to change my differential oil and got really frustrated trying trying to find a 14mm allen socket that would work. My great-uncle recommend a place that I pass by all the time and never would have thought of ever taking my car to. Looks can be deceiving. They had a Hunter GSP9700 which is one of the most advanced wheel balance machines... same stuff the dealer uses. They also have a Hunter alignment machine I think it was the 700. Anyways they fixed a flat and changed my diff oil (which I provided) for $45 and some change.

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Shop Name: Pelican Automotive
Address: 3957-1 Edward St.
Ft Myers, Fl 33916 <----------------I put this in Miami because its closest
Contact: Fernando Pena

Gadgets Review:

Another Master Tech straight out of the BMW Dealer. He has all the equiptment , all the specialty tools and a brother at the dealer also
that comes in handy. The guy is a wizard with these cars. I actually occasionaly will drive from Miami over there for him to fix the cars. Repairs
done right the first time. If your in the area I would definitely check with
him!

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Shop Name: Tills Import Car Clinic
Address: 1830 Boy Scout Dr
Fort Myers, Fl 33907

Contact: (239)277-0797

Been in business for over 15 years. Bosch authorized service center. Quality work with no attitude, less cost and faster turnaround than dealer. Factory trained Tech's and a new AUTOLOGIC. Stop in and see us or call. 239-277-0797 We are very experienced with BMW, Mini, Porsche, V/W Audi.

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Shop Name: Edge Racing
Address: 10800 NW 100th St.
Unit 16
Miami, FL 33178

(954) 217-2980
http://edgeracing.com

Submitted by Joako:

Not exactly an auto shop but I know everyone needs tires. Edge Racing is just south into Broward about a mile from the NW 106th St. Turnpike exit.
They are like Tire Rack but you can pickup your stuff from their warehouse at no cost and I think their prices are cheaper to start with. They don't install the tires but there's plenty of decent places... TK Performance, etc that will install your tires. Personally i used the Martino Tire on Bird Rd & 57th because that was the closest to me. If they mounted your tires they'll rotate them for free last time I tried about a year ago.

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Shop Name: German Motoring
Address:
Miami, FL
Contact:

Submitted by Volan: Same as no 2 [added by hoorah: noone ever responded via email on my requests for service, and was on the phone on hold for longer time that I thought it was worth it.] I guess they are too busy assisting new prospect customers or going out of business.
Scorecard: Attitude = 0/10, rest who cares....

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Shop Name: German Car Care
Address:
Miami, FL
Contact:

Submitted by Volan: Noone ever responded via email on my requests for service, and was on the phone on hold for longer time that I thought it was worth it.
Scorecard: Attitude = 0/10, another one bites the dust...

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Shop Name: Ken Heiden's Alignment Factory
Address:
Kendall, FL
Contact:

Submitted by Volan: Ken and his guys ONLY do alignments, but trust me they know their stuff. Simple place, equipped with hunter, they are all business. I have never seen such knowledgeable folks when it comes to alignment and prices are reasonable. Was recommended by a track buddy of mine, and they work on 1-2 BMWs per day, that's how pop they are among performance enthusiasts. Just make sure to call before getting there and setting up an appointment.
Scorecard: Attitude: 9/10, Service and Competency: 10/10, Prices: 9/10

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Shop Name: Flat6motorworks
Address: 5141 NW 79th Street - Unit 3
Doral, FL 33166
Contact: Raul or David
Phone: 305-499-5003

Submitted by Volan: Great guys (David and Raul) working on many high end cars, including Astons and Ferraris. Most cars they work on are porsche and bmws and they do track work as well. They actually race themselves and participate in track events (thats how I met them) and they know how to treat a car. Avg priced, but great quality and service.

Ask for Raul or David - tell them George with the black M3 recommended them.

[kahlilj]

does anyone know of good shops near cape coral or anywhere between there & orlando? maybe tampa area too?

[pbclax423]

I know a good mechanic around the Lake worth/ Lake Clarke Shores area. He's a priate mechanic, not necessarily a shop and does damn good work.

Located on Forest Hill Blvd & Federal Hwy.

Specializes in Domestic cars, but knows his way around bmw's

[hooRAH]

Can you post his contact info, opinions of the shop, name, experience, things like that? Thanks for the info!

[belligerent]

I know a good mechanic around the Lake worth/ Lake Clarke Shores area. He's a priate mechanic, not necessarily a shop and does damn good work.

Located on Forest Hill Blvd & Federal Hwy.

Specializes in Domestic cars, but knows his way around bmw's

yeahh , post his info , if hes ready for work ....

hehehhe

[Jean@ActiveAutowerke]

Active Autowerke
www.activeautowerke.com
9940 sw 168 terr
miami, fl 33157
305.233.9300
Jean
BMW force induction specialists

[belligerent]

great idea for this thread .... saw it after posting about Avenue Imports , in the other guys thread...

I have been to both .... they seem to be the better small time bmw shops around ...

Redline : I guess has been going through some changes lately , but I havent been there for maybe a year ...

but , when I was there , the mechanics were great , ( some blonde dude Tom, i think) , Rennie was nice .
They did a good job with the minor work. Looks like they really know bmws . they basically work on bimmers all day ...
But, i dont want to bad mouth the whole shop, but i stopped takin my car there after a friend got his car back form them for fender rolling , from the body shop. Well he said he even paid through the redline desk and Rennie saw it and they F*cted his car up. I told him to contact a laywer. it was bad ... So I just couldnt go there again.



Avenue Imports , was a great little shop , they did a great job on the work on my car . Rick , is really nice to work with and talk to about any problem you mught have . but it will have to be seen whether a new guy will continue the great customer service.



There has gotta be some other decent shops around???



What about engine machine shops???

any ideas??

[SergeK]

Redline Review here...

Ive taken my car to redline for the past year or so. They are going through some changes. One of which is their labor fee went up from 85 an hour to 98. It is quite significant but the work they do is great. Tim (blonde haired guy mentioned before) is a great mechanic and knows the cars in and out. Rennie is another great dude who really takes the time to sit down with you and talk your project over. For example, im getting ready to swap my transmission... i have a ton of questions and concerns, and i stop by about once a week to plan things out and order parts.

Even when the shop is busy, he'll take the time to help you out.

European Fine Cars - Spanish River and Dixie Highway, Boca Raton, FL

These guys also do great work, however they do not do anything aftermarket such as aftermarket suspensions or performance parts. But for maintanence, they get the job done. Giovanni is a great guy and knows his stuff. For about two months, Taseal was having problems with his 325i. SOmetimes it wouldnt start, sometimes it would. It would run like ass and what not. Weve replaced the Fuel pump, fuel filter, spark plugs, and the crank sensor... Twice.

We finally took it to the shop. They must have done atleast 10 hours of work... But only charged him about 400-500$. Their labor rate is 75$ an hour last i checked.

belligerent - Fender Rollings are always very tough... they often do not come out as planned.

[hooRAH]

Thanks a bunch for all the support guys! I have high hopes that this thread is going to turn out well and we can get a lot of good info in here.

I modified the format a little, I think its easier to read, and I added everyone's reviews to the main thread. Keep them coming!

[belligerent]

looks like palm beach is really lacking in the high performance euro car shop department ....

.... or am I missing something??

[UltimateDrivr]

Shop Name: European Transmission Tech
Shop Phone: 305-447-1115
Contact: Felix
Specialty: BMW/Mercedes/Porsche
Location: 3020 SW 38th Ave., Coral Gables FL
Type of Work: He is a transmission specialist. Swaps, rebuilds, etc.

My review
Its a small shop, with 1 lift. He is a pure transmission guy, he has hundreds of trannys all over the shop. When i got there he was working on a 635csi so he knows about the older ones too.

His prices were reasonable. He did excellent work. I was there for the 2nd have of my transmission swap. He didnt mind i was right under the lift with him. He cleaned all my old parts before reusing them. And just generally swapped it out quickly.

He seems very knowlegable...he was rebuilding a massive Porsche tranny when i got there.

[SergeK]

UD - Whats he charge for a ful E36 swap?

[UltimateDrivr]

^^^ a full transmission swap?

i paid 5 bills to swap the transmission and clutch

[topshotta02]

Ultimate Euro Repairs
2011 SW 70th Ave. Unit #A1
Davie, FL 33025

Tel. 954-475-0225 , Fax 954-475-0498

Specializing in BMW, Mercedes, VW/Audi, Porsche and other european makes


They have all the factory tools(GT1, SSS, MB basic2), and mostly do general service and repairs as well as coding and programming, light resets.....

They also dabble a bit in the high-performance game, but they target high end customers who dont mind paying for the meticulous work

[pbclax423]

wow... south florida sucks for performance bmw shops ......anything north of ft. lauderdale and south of jupiter (exactly where i am)??

[Terry F.]

wow... south florida sucks for performance bmw shops ......anything north of ft. lauderdale and south of jupiter (exactly where i am)??

Foreign Affairs
1935 NW 40th Court
Deerfield Beach, FL
954 746 0477

S Florida Authorized Dinan dealer. Competent shop, nice guys.

Regards,
Terry

[bimmer freaks]

Shop Name: German Autos
Shop Phone: 954-781-9510
Contact: Peter
Specialty: BMW
Location: 3401 NE 6th Terrace Pompano Beach, FL 33064
Type of Work: Anything BMW

My review:
By far the best mechanic in South Florida. I took my cars to a bunch of other independents and the local dealers and all I can say is Pete is the last true good mechanic who does the work right the first time. He is a certified BMW master tech that worked at Vista and branched off to start his own garage. I've sat with him plenty of times and watched him work under my cars and he does it by the book and his rates are great. I believe in the $70's/hr. I have owned numerous BMW's ranging from an e31 840 to an e30 325is and he has kept them running perfect. My problem is that I can't buy another car besides a BMW now because I don't trust anyone else which isn't a bad thing. I floated all around to other shops and have been a loyal customer of Pete's for the last 5 years. 2 thumbs way up!!!

[pbclax423]

Foreign Affairs
1935 NW 40th Court
Deerfield Beach, FL
954 746 0477

S Florida Authorized Dinan dealer. Competent shop, nice guys.

Regards,
Terry

everyone keeps naming great shops, but they are all in/south of ft. lauderdale. not exaclty a short distance to drop the car off and go pick it up (usually one day isnt enough). Anythign in the 561 area code.??

[Terry F.]

everyone keeps naming great shops, but they are all in/south of ft. lauderdale. not exaclty a short distance to drop the car off and go pick it up (usually one day isnt enough). Anythign in the 561 area code.??

These guys are not in Ft Lauderdale or south of Ft lauderdale, they are in Deerfield Beach and about 3 miles away from the 561 area code (which starts in Boca).

Terry

[pbclax423]

yeah... 954 -- broward county. Boca is 45 mins from me... still far. I know where deerfield is, i play lacrosse at the indoor sports arean every so often and that takes me almost an hour on the turnpike from okeechobee blvd in west palm.

[bimmer213]

I've always taken my car to Mikes Beemer Shop. Mike himself looks over and works on every car at the shop, he use to be a Master Tech at a local Dealer and then opened this shop for himself. Now they're authorized by bmw as if you take your car to the actual dealer for service or repairs. They're really good people over there, both Carlos and Mike Have helped me out a ton in the past, and their rates are in the $70's so they're not expensive. They're located right next to the University of Miami, around US-1 and 67th Ave

everyone keeps naming great shops, but they are all in/south of ft. lauderdale. not exaclty a short distance to drop the car off and go pick it up (usually one day isnt enough). Anythign in the 561 area code.??

I recommend RTR Motorsports In Jupiter, http://www.rtrmotorsports.com/
I met the owner at a PBOC event, He's a great guy. Had a big on track breakdown and his guys fixed my car and got me back up and running the same day so I wouldn't miss the rest of the event. Really awesome guys and they know their stuff.

[mattr328i]

there is a foreign affairs on military. i don't reccommend it though.

http://www.foreignaffairsauto.com/index-frame.html

i took my e36 there for some work when i didnt have time to work on it and they replaced a broken engine fan with a defective one, (gave me a new one for free) but when putting on new engine fan the fucker did not know how to put my front end together. when i got home i inspected his work and saw a coupld screws missing, on part called an 'air duct' but its not an air duct was put in completely wrong, looks like he cut it in half to make it/force it to fit. the place fucking sucks. i am never taking my car there again. i won't take it to a place where i have to inspect their work after....i had to take off front bumper,nosepanel,etc... to fix their mis-installation.

[bimmer freaks]

everyone keeps naming great shops, but they are all in/south of ft. lauderdale. not exaclty a short distance to drop the car off and go pick it up (usually one day isnt enough). Anythign in the 561 area code.??

I would take it German Auto's (see post above). He is located just east of Sample and 95, and hand's down, the best mechanic out there.