Ok so being new to the area I need to know which shops to actually trust my car with. I rarely take it in for anything but there is a few things that are unavoidable. Please feel free to add suggestions for other services I figure this could be a good resource for everyone and any new owners as well.

Alignments
Powder coating/Paint Services
Tire Shops
Metal Plating
Tuning/Dyno

Again please suggest anyplace you have been and had a good experience and make sure you say what service you had done! If you can also list a web site or information about the shop as well.

 

So no one goes to any shops?

 

Mostly DIY (Do It Yourself) up here.

Nearly all of the alignment racks these days are computer laser driven. If you know what specifications you need, tell the local dealership. They offer the best prices in the area. There is also a wealth of available information on how to perform an alignment in your own garage.

I think most everyone is ordering their tires online. We have two members with a tire machine. Getting a tire mounted doesn't require a special shop. Discount tire or even a dealership will mount just about anything. If you need service for special wheels (chromed, exotic construction, or 20"+), folks tend to use the bling-bling shop next to Park Place Motors in Bellevue.

"Tuning" shops up here are a great opportunity to pay someone money to mess up your car. Performing your own modifications and understanding the why is part of the car hobby. There is a deep field of DIY here.

The paint/powder coat/metal plating (huh???) or other fashion stuff is not something I can honestly help with. I usually pick the local body shop based on who will be finished first. That is to say, who is going to let my car sit in the parking lot for the least amount of time until they get around to actually doing the work... first. I really suck at getting this strategy to work .

 

Good to know about the members with the tire machines. That's pretty sweet. I don't take my car to the shop for much. Mostly alignments and tires because I dont have either machine at my disposal. I will look into the DIY alignment though. One less reason to hand the keys to someone that may mess up my car.

Also I think you misunderstand the tuning shop reference. I am not talking about someone to install parts (i have done this all myself as well as helped others) I mean someone that can actually tune a car on the dyno. So unless members have a dyno (I guess it's possible) I assume there has to be a place that's trusted. I would like to be boosted down the road and rather have a good tuner handle that then trying to do it on my own.

As for the paint and powder coat I am interested in hearing if anyone has used someone. I have a set of wheels I'd like to have redone as well as future body mods that will require some paint.

 

i too need a painter for parts here in seattle.

 

People will probably suggest stage auto in kirkland for most of your needs as for a tuner? not sure to be honest.

 

+1 for Stage Auto for tire mounting, balancing, and alignment. $60 to mount/balance 4 tires, $80 for alignment. Good guys and they work on S2000s.

 

Perfect! That is good info and the kind I am talking about. Do they have a dyno?

 

Stage doesn't. There's a place in Auburn called Drift Office that has a dyno. Caters more to the Nissan crowd but they have S2k dyno days and whatnot as well.

 

i like drift office. been to a few dyno days. also had my sti tuned there...I know bill was working on a turbo s2 project a couple years ago, not sure how that went...