German Auto Mechanic’s Fun Facts About VW

by A1performance123 | Oct 14, 2015 | Auto Mechanic

A German auto mechanic knows German cars. Here are some fun facts about the Volkswagen Company. You might not know these surprising facts about the maker of the famous Beetle.

German Auto Mechanic Talks VW

Volkswagen means “The People’s Car,” but it was originally named KdF Wagen for “kraft durch Freude” or “strength through joy.” The person behind this car for the people was none other than Adolph Hitler. He wanted a car that could hold 2 adults and 3 children, was fairly inexpensive and could go as fast as 100km/hr.

The Beetle, or what we refer to as The Bug, was born in 1938, but wasn’t really introduced into the USA until 1949. It had an explosion of popularity in the 1950s, because it was so affordable. Aside from that, people loved it because they could customize it into a dune buggy or race car. By 1970, Bug sales peaked and the Japanese cars started to take over. The Beetle was done by 2003.

The VW bus was created out of necessity. The experimental department of the factory needed a transport vehicle. They modified a flatbed truck by moving the cab forward and then covering the rear flatbed. Hence, the VW Bus Camper was born.

VW is one of the largest bus and truck manufacturers in South America. They also race those trucks in the Brazilian Formula Truck championship! So, it isn’t just the hopped up Bug that people like to use to go fast. Of course, the VW company is also Porsche, so it all makes sense.

A1 Performance Auto Repairs VW Cars

A1 Performance Auto Repair has German auto mechanics that are certified to work on VW bugs, buses, Porsches and other German vehicles. Stop by our Sunnyvale location to meet the owner and the crew to talk about your German car. We’d love to give your car the special care it deserves.

Auto Mechanic Pricing – How to Know If It Is Fair

by A1performance123 | Oct 7, 2015 | Auto Mechanic

So, one auto mechanic pricing is $70 per labor hour and another is $100. How do you know which is a fair price and which is an overcharge? Here are some things to look for.

Auto Mechanic Pricing

Auto mechanic pricing is based on the labor hour and is called the labor hour rate. Just because one mechanic charges $100 per labor hour doesn’t mean the bill is going to be higher for your repair, necessarily. Sometimes a more experienced auto mechanic is going to charge a higher rate. He might be faster at diagnosing the problem. He also might fix the right thing the first time, which means you pay for the repair only once. A lesser experienced mechanic might assume the problem is something that it isn’t and you’ll have to pay for that part to be replaced and then still have the problem. You’ll have to go back again and have another thing replaced. So, even though the lesser experienced mechanic charges less, it might cost you a lot more in the long run.

Ask your auto shop if they charge by the labor guide or if they charge by the actual amount of time it took to do the repair. There is a book that auto shops have that lets them know how many hours the repair takes on average. Many shops charge that many hours no matter how many hours it took to do the repair. Usually that labor guide suggests a repair takes more hours than an experienced mechanic will take to get the job done.

Fair Pricing

At A1 Performance Auto Repair, we always charge what is fair for the job that needs to be done. We have experienced and certified mechanics that get that repair done right the first time. You’ll always feel that our auto mechanic pricing is very fair. Stop by the next time you need an oil change and meet the crew. We’d love to become your new mechanic.

Mobile Auto Repair in Sunnyvale

by A1performance123 | Sep 16, 2015 | Auto Mechanic

Mobile auto repair can be very convenient, but the service usually cannot handle much in the way of repair. Usually, your auto will need to be taken into the shop where the tools are that can fix it properly. A1 Performance Auto Repair will come to you if you are within 3 miles of the shop and tow your car in so that it can be repaired in a certified auto shop. They also will give you a ride back to the office or your home.

Mobile Auto Repair

In Sunnyvale everyone is very busy and there is never time to have your auto repaired. It would be great if a mechanic could just show up at your office and fix the car while you work. Unfortunately, if there is a serious issue with your car then mobile auto repair is going to have to tow it to the shop. This is why A1 Performance Auto Repair will come to your home or place of business and tow your car in when it is in need of serious repair.

If your car only needs some minor work done or the regular maintenance performed, A1 Performance Auto Repair will give you a ride to your office or back home when you drop your car off to be worked on. When your car is finished they’ll pick you up and return you to the shop, free of charge.

Customer Convenience

Mobile auto repair always sounds like a great idea at first, but usually it costs more than if you had taken it to the shop in the first place. At A1 Performance Auto Repair, we place a lot of importance on our customers’ convenience. If you are within three miles of our shop, we will tow your auto into the shop to work on it or we will provide transportation for you to your office or home. We’ll pick you up to reunite you with your car when it is fixed.

Auto Mechanic Facts on the Flooded Car

by A1performance123 | Sep 9, 2015 | Auto Mechanic

Auto Mechanic Facts: Flooded cars have flooded the market place. With more and more hurricanes and floods going on, cars that have been in a flood sometimes end up for sale. Here are some things to look for to avoid becoming a sucker.

Auto Mechanic Facts on Cars That Have Been Flooded

At first you might think that once the water drains and the car dries out that everything is fine! No, that is not the case. Once a car has been in a flood it is never going to be a good car again.

Here are some things to look for:

• Out of shape door panels
• Lots of air fresheners being used inside the car
• Mineral stains on the doors or upholstery
• Mold growing in the truck
• The car it titled from a place that recently had a flood
• An incredibly low price

Many times it is very difficult to see signs of the flood on a car. A mechanic might not even be able to see it because it has been cleaned up so well. So, if the car you’re looking at has an oddly low price for what it is and the auto title states it is from an area of the country that had a huge flood in the past year or two, then avoid that car. There is a good chance that car was in that flood.

Great Car Deals

The auto mechanic facts are always going to say that a car that has been in a flood is a car that should never be depended on again. The fact is, the insurance company already totaled that car from the flood, but sometimes unscrupulous dealers will buy those cars, clean them up and resell them. Sometimes if the deal sounds too good to be true, then it is.

German Auto Mechanic on Duty

by A1performance123 | Aug 26, 2015 | Auto Mechanic

A German auto mechanic is a necessity if you own a German made car like a BMW, Audi, Mercedes or Volkswagen. It is the highly trained and skilled mechanic that is used to working on these autos that is going to be able to diagnose and repair it far faster than someone else.

German Auto Mechanic

The German auto mechanics at A1 Performance Auto Repair are trained in all European vehicles, to better serve you and your favorite car. These skilled mechanics can hone right in on a problem with your vehicle because they are used to the nuances and issues that come up with each of the European makes of cars. This saves you a lot money in the end because your mechanic can accurately diagnose the problem and quickly fix it right the first time.

Certifications

A1 Performance Auto Repair has mechanics that are certified by the independent testing agency AES. This ensures that your mechanic knows his stuff. The testing is rigorous and covers many different aspects of auto repair and diagnostics. Not all mechanics can pass this testing procedure, but the German auto mechanics at A1 Performance Auto Repair have passed and have been certified. This is something you should look for with any auto mechanic you use with any make of car you have.

One Stop Auto Repair

At A1 Performance Auto Repair we believe in going that extra mile to take care of our customers. That is why our customers always come back and refer their friends and family to us. We believe in fixing only what needs to be fixed and taking the time to figure out what the true problem is with the car. Just because it sounds like a problem with the battery, doesn’t mean it is the true cause. We want to make sure we diagnose correctly and properly repair it the first time, to save you from having to return with the same problem.