Hi all,
I have a sick speedy and my trusty Houston mechanic is nowhere to be found. I brought it to Gecko Air Cooled last time and I think Mr. Gecko has moved on. Can anyone recommend a good VM mechanic? Thanks.
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Hi all,
I have a sick speedy and my trusty Houston mechanic is nowhere to be found. I brought it to Gecko Air Cooled last time and I think Mr. Gecko has moved on. Can anyone recommend a good VM mechanic? Thanks.
I have a sick speedy and my trusty Houston mechanic is nowhere to be found. I brought it to Gecko Air Cooled last time and I think Mr. Gecko has moved on. Can anyone recommend a good VM mechanic? Thanks.
Kevin,
I live in Kemah and can only tell you thre to NOT use. There was a guy in Angleton at the Bug Shop that had a good rep., but that was three years ago.
Perhaps Jim Dubois knows of one. He is in Magnolia.
What part of town are you in?
GG
I live in Kemah and can only tell you thre to NOT use. There was a guy in Angleton at the Bug Shop that had a good rep., but that was three years ago.
Perhaps Jim Dubois knows of one. He is in Magnolia.
What part of town are you in?
GG
Hey George,
Good to see you on line. Kevin and I have taken this one off line and he has a couple of names.....George Karacostas in Hitchcock, and Bugaholics in Pasadena are about the only ones these days that advertise at least. KAR is now on Greens Road (parts only) if you need parts.....
Not many shops that know much about air cooled at all around here. Sort of sad.....and makes me glad I can do my own work
Good to see you on line. Kevin and I have taken this one off line and he has a couple of names.....George Karacostas in Hitchcock, and Bugaholics in Pasadena are about the only ones these days that advertise at least. KAR is now on Greens Road (parts only) if you need parts.....
Not many shops that know much about air cooled at all around here. Sort of sad.....and makes me glad I can do my own work
Yes, Jim has been very helpful. He found a guy for me off Samba, but that guy has busy building a couple engines and won't be able to get to my car for another 2-3 weeks. =( I'll keep looking in the meantime, but the Houston-summer will be here by the time I get my speedy back on the road. Thanks everyone.
I started looking for an alternative just now and found:
Herr Schmidt's
6354 Richmond Avenue
Houston, Texas 77057
(713) 789-6379
It came up after I found the North Houston VW Club. When I googled it, the 6 reviews were not very comforting, but one reviewer did comment "maybe they only know aircooled VW..." Which is what I'm after. =) Any one have experience with these guys?
Thanks
Herr Schmidt's
6354 Richmond Avenue
Houston, Texas 77057
(713) 789-6379
It came up after I found the North Houston VW Club. When I googled it, the 6 reviews were not very comforting, but one reviewer did comment "maybe they only know aircooled VW..." Which is what I'm after. =) Any one have experience with these guys?
Thanks
The Hitchkock one is one I would NOT recommend. He has the personality of a TURD (sorry, I am unhappy with the lack of communication skills...they stink). Good mechanic (I think), but gives one what he wants...not what I want. I had even posted my complaints here.
I will not do bidness with him again.
Regards,
GG
I will not do bidness with him again.
Regards,
GG
George G, I know of what you speak.....
Personally I have only had one dealing with George K. He bought a stack of parts from me, and that went fine....
We do not have a plethora of VW mechanics in the area, and my original recommendation, off line, to Kevin, included a caveat concerning the recommendation.
Personally I have only had one dealing with George K. He bought a stack of parts from me, and that went fine....
We do not have a plethora of VW mechanics in the area, and my original recommendation, off line, to Kevin, included a caveat concerning the recommendation.
I show www.gekkosaircooled.net as a contact for Kevin "Gekko" Adams with a phone number of 832-298-8449. The website is no longer active, I did not try the phone number.
If Gekko's father is Jim Adams stay away... Jim is/was a long time VW/Porsche builder and mechanic in West Houston who still has a number of people who would like to get back their cars, engines, money, etc. they are due from 15 years ago....I have at least 2 friends who will froth at the mouth at the mear mention of the name....he only got me for a bad engine and a few hundred dollars, I am one of the lucky ones....
If Gekko's father is Jim Adams stay away... Jim is/was a long time VW/Porsche builder and mechanic in West Houston who still has a number of people who would like to get back their cars, engines, money, etc. they are due from 15 years ago....I have at least 2 friends who will froth at the mouth at the mear mention of the name....he only got me for a bad engine and a few hundred dollars, I am one of the lucky ones....
Thanks, Jim...it is only through these posts that we can help others...the orther 'non recommendation' is Paul Neanover in League City.
Same complaints...maybe it is I...
gg
Same complaints...maybe it is I...
gg
I've had some minor maintenace work done at Gekko and was the first person I called (same number you posted), but doesn't look like he's in business anymore.
My communication with the guy from Hitchcock was "okay". but he's just too far for me to personally drive.
What about Herr? Anyone? Thanks.
My communication with the guy from Hitchcock was "okay". but he's just too far for me to personally drive.
What about Herr? Anyone? Thanks.
Hello all,
I wanted update everyone on my ride and sharing something interesting.
Well, I got the car fixed. It turned out to be a clutch issue. Matter of fact, on my ride to the shop the clutch completed gave out WHEN I arrived at the shop. So bad that when I told them to take the car for a test ride, the mechanic couldn't even shift properly. Talk about timing. I guess that last ride was the "straw". Well, so my situation turned out to be a full clutch replacement, but the irony is that I just had it replaced about 1-2k miles ago... AT GEKKO.
Per this Herr Smithd, Gekko put on the WRONG FLY wheel with the clutch he replaced. So.. that ate away my clutch and needed another replacement. So news to share is that per Herr, Gekko was not a good shop and put the wrong parts in during my last visit!
All in all, glutch replacement, replacing with a used fly wheel cost me about $800!! ouch. But.. she runs again.
I wanted update everyone on my ride and sharing something interesting.
Well, I got the car fixed. It turned out to be a clutch issue. Matter of fact, on my ride to the shop the clutch completed gave out WHEN I arrived at the shop. So bad that when I told them to take the car for a test ride, the mechanic couldn't even shift properly. Talk about timing. I guess that last ride was the "straw". Well, so my situation turned out to be a full clutch replacement, but the irony is that I just had it replaced about 1-2k miles ago... AT GEKKO.
Per this Herr Smithd, Gekko put on the WRONG FLY wheel with the clutch he replaced. So.. that ate away my clutch and needed another replacement. So news to share is that per Herr, Gekko was not a good shop and put the wrong parts in during my last visit!
All in all, glutch replacement, replacing with a used fly wheel cost me about $800!! ouch. But.. she runs again.
Had a similar experience with an old solid axle Corvette. Shop sold me the wrong throw-out bearing. After install, the clutch was OK up to 2000 RPM, then it just spun free. No amount of linkage adjustment made any difference. Shop gave me all new parts next day, but the install was in Detroit, in winter, on an unheated concrete garage floor - two nights in a row!
be careful with Herr Schmidt if they are still the same group..tend to over charge and do things as they please...I used them once...wont ever again...
Michael
Michael