Why I love Bob's Auto and Towing
I used to always take my car to London Automotive. Dean London was a hoot. His shop wasn't the cheapest in town, and his regular customers knew better than to try to have anything repaired during elk season, when Dean was off killing things for sport and closed down his shop. But he was honest and never repaired things that weren't actually broken. A few times, I had a first opinion elsewhere and then took my car to Dean, only to have him laugh and say, "Oh, they're trying to charge you an extra $300." He replaced an entire engine for me once for about $500. It was disappointing to move back to Corvallis and find out not only that Dean had retired, but that some jerkish relative took over who is apparently a typical sleazebag mechanic who will fix things that aren't broken for a little extra cash.
So I've been without a regular mechanic for the past few years, trying different places, hoping to find someone I could trust. I use oil change coupons from Firestone and regret it most times. I took my car in a few years ago to have the starter replaced, which they did, only to find out that there was a problem with the battery and the starter was fine. They cracked a friend's windshield when they jerked open the hood with the wipers pulled out. I don't go there anymore.
Meanwhile, I've had AAA road service forever, and every now and then, I've had to call for something stupid, like locking my keys in my car or running my battery down. Not often, but it happens. Here in Corvallis, if you call AAA, Bob's Towing sends out a truck. They are invariably friendly, even when you have to call on Thanksgiving because you hit a pothole and blew your tire and then discovered your jack was broken. (When I say "you" I mean "me." That was a fun way to spend the holiday!) The gentleman that helped me out Thursday refused my offer of a tip, despite the fact that I offered first cash, then beer.
A while back, I was pulled over because my brake lights weren't working. My other lights were fine, but the brake lights were kaput. I replaced the fuse and it didn't work. Firestone offered to take a look... for $36. On a whim, I called AAA and asked if they recommended anyone in particular for repairs. Don't you just know it? Bob's Towing also has a garage. They took a look for free, and rewired my entire brake light apparatus for less than that same $36. Recently, they fixed a friend's flat tire for free. Another time, I needed something minor done and they couldn't squeeze me into the schedule, so they referred me to G & J Tire, which did the job the same day. (They are also AAA recommended and seem to be trustworthy, but I've only gone there once so far.)
As I was waiting in my car for the Bob's truck to arrive, I realized I should probably give them a mention. I need my brakes repaired in the next month or so, and now, instead of rifling through the phone book trying to figure out who to take a chance on next, I'll just go to Bob's. They seem like good people. The best part? They don't treat me like a gurl. (Nothing I hate worse than having some jerky mechanic treat me like an idiot because he thinks women can't possibly know anything about cars. When I was young and broke, I used to do my own tune-ups and oil changes. Now I'm entirely too lazy. But I'm still not a car moron.)
So I've been without a regular mechanic for the past few years, trying different places, hoping to find someone I could trust. I use oil change coupons from Firestone and regret it most times. I took my car in a few years ago to have the starter replaced, which they did, only to find out that there was a problem with the battery and the starter was fine. They cracked a friend's windshield when they jerked open the hood with the wipers pulled out. I don't go there anymore.
Meanwhile, I've had AAA road service forever, and every now and then, I've had to call for something stupid, like locking my keys in my car or running my battery down. Not often, but it happens. Here in Corvallis, if you call AAA, Bob's Towing sends out a truck. They are invariably friendly, even when you have to call on Thanksgiving because you hit a pothole and blew your tire and then discovered your jack was broken. (When I say "you" I mean "me." That was a fun way to spend the holiday!) The gentleman that helped me out Thursday refused my offer of a tip, despite the fact that I offered first cash, then beer.
A while back, I was pulled over because my brake lights weren't working. My other lights were fine, but the brake lights were kaput. I replaced the fuse and it didn't work. Firestone offered to take a look... for $36. On a whim, I called AAA and asked if they recommended anyone in particular for repairs. Don't you just know it? Bob's Towing also has a garage. They took a look for free, and rewired my entire brake light apparatus for less than that same $36. Recently, they fixed a friend's flat tire for free. Another time, I needed something minor done and they couldn't squeeze me into the schedule, so they referred me to G & J Tire, which did the job the same day. (They are also AAA recommended and seem to be trustworthy, but I've only gone there once so far.)
As I was waiting in my car for the Bob's truck to arrive, I realized I should probably give them a mention. I need my brakes repaired in the next month or so, and now, instead of rifling through the phone book trying to figure out who to take a chance on next, I'll just go to Bob's. They seem like good people. The best part? They don't treat me like a gurl. (Nothing I hate worse than having some jerky mechanic treat me like an idiot because he thinks women can't possibly know anything about cars. When I was young and broke, I used to do my own tune-ups and oil changes. Now I'm entirely too lazy. But I'm still not a car moron.)
posted by Corvallist at
4:37 PM
8 Comments:
Thanks for the tip. I've had pleasant encounters with them over the years.
In the past I dealt with Malcom's Auto but since he doesn't do the work himself anymore they've gotten the dreaded overpriced/busywork syndrome too. I think maybe I'll give Bob's a try next time.
By
nolocontendere, at 9:57 PM
A friend recommended Clayton's to me. They're on the north side of Circle, just east of 99W, opposite McGrath's and KMart. (You can easily miss them. Look for the NAPA sign.)
I took our Toyota Echo there, and was impressed by their service and attention to detail, so shortly later took in our Toyota RAV4 for its 90,000 mile timing belt replacement. (That's quite a big deal, so I didn't want to go to Joe Blow to have it done poorly, or to the dealer, to have it done incompetently.)
I've only used them twice, and can't comment on repairs to minor problems. I do think that the mechanic I dealt with would be unlikely to treat a woman like an idiot. It just doesn't seem like the kind of thing SHE would do. (I believe her name was Joanna.)
By
Anonymous, at 9:36 AM
Thanks for the recommendation. I have a friend, but he's all the way in Salem. I once went to Five Star Transmissions, and after being ignored for like 10 mins, I decided "Fuck these guys." The yellow ribbons everywhere didn't help.
By
crallspace, at 11:34 AM
Firestone is no good. Avoid. Clayton's is good. Also Charlie's, downtown on 2nd.
By
Christopher Farrell, at 12:58 AM
I don't know...I just took by car to Bob's Auto and Towing, and he told me that an alternator would be $230, but then I called the subaru place to ask how much an alternator is and they said $170. Then, the guy was like, weird, some guy just called to order one. Then, I found out it was the guy from Bob's Auto and Towing was working on my car. Why did he tell me it was $60 more than it really is? I think they are all crooked.
By
Anonymous, at 1:34 PM
Bob's towing charges $240 towing for illegal parking (like 10 minutes over in a 1 hour zone). That's where they make their money, by overcharging where you have no choice in the matter. No wonder they can give a good deal, they screw others over.
By
Anonymous, at 4:46 PM
Sorry, no sympathy here. Bob's Towing only tows cars at the request of the city (or whoever owns the parking lot if it's an apartment or commercial building). It's not Bob's fault that you broke the law and got caught. So buck up and pay up, or hey... here's an idea... don't go over your time limit.
Let me guess... you also complain about cops who actually catch you going over the speed limit, right?
By
Anonymous, at 11:32 PM
Hey there folks. I am a driver for Bob's and thank you for all of the good reviews. As drivers we try very hard to make a good impression with the public. Even when we are dealing with people who are upset about getting impounded by the police or for parking where they are not allowed to park. I know that it is common to "kill the messenger" or the tow truck driver, but please understand that we don't just drive around stealing cars for ransom, and impounds are a very small part of what a tow truck driver does. Most of my day is spent unlocking and jump starting cars, and towing to mechanics shops. Shoot, I respond to automobile accidents a lot more than I do to impounds.
Again, thank you for your good comments.
By
Anonymous, at 11:50 PM
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