0 Followers
A Car Story
Nobody loves their car as much as me. I bought a Toyota. In DETROIT. When I was 19 years old. Even though Ford was basically paying for my college education at the time. I've owned the same Toyota ever since (brought her all the way to California), and man, do we have some history. You better believe she gets the best.
- 317
- 296
7 Places
-
Lisa’s 5-star review: Newest weapon in my arsenal against the band of evildoers that roam Rhode Island St between 25th and 26th. GLASSALL TO THE RESCUE!!! The fxxxers smashed my car window out twice in one week. Didn't take anything, didn't even open the door (the alarm was still engaged). Just a senseless act of fxxxerdom. Or, they had Clemson going really far in the NCAA tourney and just couldn't stomach the site of my Michigan window sticker. It was on the window they smashed the first time, then I moved it to the other window (I'm clever like that), and they smashed THAT ONE! Don't hate us because we're legendarily awesome. Back to Glassall. After a quick 10:00 AM freak-out upon discovering smashed window #2 in one week, I went on a quest to find the nearest place that could fix it. By this point, I knew what it should cost, roughly, since it was actually the THIRD time Car had been broken into on Rhode Island. Fxxx that street. I was over the cost. I just wanted it HANDLED. Like Obama handles pirates. And I found Glassall. Bathed in a heavenly glow. Six blocks from my house. With its sign out front declaring "emergency glass repair, same-day service," or something to that effect. AAAHHH!!! (chorus of angels) After all, I had my friend's Brazilian choro band's concert to get to in Oakland at noon. This was definitely an emergency! ONE HOUR and $60 -- the LOWEST PRICE YET for poor Car's window -- later, and I was on the road to a blissful Brazilian afternoon. Glassall, we have officially joined forces against Rhode Island and its minions. (Just kidding about Michigan being legendarily awesome at basketball, though. LOST to Oklahoma in round 2. That afternoon. It was nice while it lasted.) -
Lisa’s 4-star review: An EXCELLENT find, 7 blocks from my house. Flat tires have the ability to RUIN my day. RUIN IT. There's nothing worse than coming out of your house in a great mood on a Sunday, hopping in your car, taking off (fast) to go to a barbecue, and then realizing something is HORRIBLY WRONG. Because you have a FLAT. It's just on the side of the car you didn't see before you got in and started driving. That SUCKS. Majorly. It makes me get out of poor Car and start kicking her in the middle of the street. No joke -- this has happened. Twice, in San Francisco. But good news, because Larkins Brothers fixes flats FAST. They're open on Sunday! (yeah -- holy shit! who the fxxx else in this business is open on SUNDAY?) I was in and out with a new tire (because of course my sidewall was shredded from driving on it -- argh) -- in ONE HOUR. I didn't really see a big ol' money savings. As far as the raw tire went... But when he quoted me the price, I appreciated that it included everything -- labor, etc. So when he went to work, I was thinking, "$85." And when I went to pay, it was still, "$85." That's nice. I like you, boys. -
Lisa’s 5-star review: I'm trying to write a review here... But man, really... I'm speechless. I was speechless when I picked Car up today. I was speechless when I called my mother to tell her that I got Car detailed. All I could think to do was parody Will Ferrell in Old School. "She looks... GLORIOUS!" I resorted to a Will Ferrell parody. That's how dumb the detail I got at the Detail Factory struck me. I love my car so much. I've owned her for 12 years and -- let's face it. She doesn't QUITE look like she used to. If Car was a human, we'd attach words like "crows feet" and "liver spots" and "muffin top" to her, I'm sure. But to me -- I see her inner beauty. Because I remember what she looked like back in the 90s. When I was a college kid, horribly abusing her, clambaking in her, whathaveyou... Now that she's in her golden years, I want to treat her right (whenever I have the spare cash to do so). And now I know that I can do it more often, because Kenny did the amazing, speech-stealing job he did, and he only charged me $175! That's an INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR DETAIL! For $175! I not only need to treat Car better, I need to treat KENNY better. Next time, he's getting a MUCH bigger tip. This place is a real find. If you've gotten your car detailed before -- think again. No. No you haven't. You have NOT gotten your car detailed, until you've brought her (or him!) to the Detail Factory. -
Lisa’s 1-star review: Okay, as if a two-star rating weren't enough to keep y'all away from this place... I am going to pass on free tire rotations and wheel balances for the life of my tires bought from Midas. Because I can't, in good faith, ever go here again. TAKE THAT! I should have known better than to ever come here for ANYTHING in the first place. But, I had a flat in the middle of the night, and they have a parking lot. So I felt safe ditching my car here. And it got me caught in a bad cycle... Sigh... Now, I know my own car VERY WELL (having owned it for 12 years), and I know the basics of just about any car -- what the parts do, when they normally need replacement, how you know, and how you can extend their life. Add to THAT! the fact that I'm from Detroit. That my father, grandfather, and great-grandfathers all worked for Ford. My grandmother, too, for a time. During the war. That my family basically supplied Ford Motor Company with an entire immigrant labor force during the 20th Century. That my enginerd father, when I was a kid, diagrammed the workings of an AXOD transmission for me as a science lesson (try and imagine what "the sex talk" was like with him, if you can...). IT'S VERY HARD TO PULL A FAST ONE OVER ON ME. I might be a girl, but I know when I'm being cheated by a shitty mechanic. I've escaped a raw deal twice here. And there's no third-time's-the-charm with me in situations like this. Because I'm also a Sicilian, and I get PISSED when people do this to me. All the yelling and causing a scene is starting to wear me out. These are the facts: FACT 1: Midas tried to charge me 75 FUCKING DOLLARS to charge one headlight in my car. JUST ONE HEADLIGHT. I, having obviously changed NUMEROUS bulbs in the car, in all kinds of locations, over a 12-year period, told them this was absurd. They argued that it was completely legitimate, because I needed a "special halogen bulb," and it would take "THREE HOURS OF LABOR" to reach it. FACT 2: The Toy Shop on Geary and Funston changed that bulb and three others in 20 minutes, for $14. And polished out my headlights while they were at it. FACT 3: I had a flat tire, and left my car there overnight in their lot, knowing my tires were on their last leg. I ended up buying a new set from them because the price seemed reasonable and it was convenient to where I got the flat. They also offered me free rotations and balances. FACT 4: Upon returning for the first free rotation and balance five months (4k miles) later, they told me that my struts were totally shot, had caused the new tires to cup, that it was an immediate concern, and gave me an estimate for all four new struts (because they had to be changed out together) at 1800 FUCKING DOLLARS. FACT 5: The Toy Shop -- once again my trusted mechanic -- told me that there was absolutely no abnormal wear on my tires, and showed me. That my struts certainly had some wear with my high mileage, but that unless I found my car shimmying on lane changes, to not even bother at this point. If it was their car, they wouldn't even be thinking about it. That at the next oil change I could price out front struts ONLY, IF I was interested in improving the ride quality. But that it was a choice, not a need. I believe it's no coincidence that when I went to pick up my car from the tire rotation, some guy was in line in front of me getting slapped with a $1300 bill. For some repair he almost certainly DIDN'T need. This is the definition of a scam, and has been submitted to the Ripoff Report. Over and out. -
Lisa’s 5-star review: Sheesh. I love the Toy Shop. We need to revisit this topic. I had a headlight out. I thought I'd just whip into Midas and get it changed real quick. And real cheap. 'Cause it's just a burned out headlight, after all. Ain't like it's the first time it's happened, in a 12-year-old car... Um, never has there been a more appropriate moment to use the phrase SHA, RIGHT!!! Real quick... Midas wanted to charge me $75 to change ONE LIGHT BULB. That would be $35 for a "special halogen bulb," and 3 HOURS FOR LABOR. 3 HOURS OF LABOR, to change one freakin' headlight. Now, I watched them putz around in my engine, and put on a very good show about how "difficult" it was to get to my headlights... So I said, "fxxx you very much, gimme my keys." And Car and I went all the way across town to the Toy Shop. Where I got... -- 4 BULBS CHANGED (turns out I had some taillights out, too) -- My headlights polished (they were old and foggy, okay? Car is a senior citizen. You'll get glaucoma some day, too...) -- In 20 minutes -- For $14 TOY SHOP, PEOPLE. Just do it. -
Lisa’s 5-star review: I can't believe I waited this long to review this place... I'm breaking my own review-it-in-the-same-month rule for this one, because I MUST spread the word. So, if you're my fan, you know I'm in love with my car. Just like Freddy Mercury said. I GOTTA FEEL FOR MY AUTOMOBILE. And, uh, yeah -- when smoke, or steam, or some sort of white cloud started pouring out of her hood after I was stuck looking for parking for HOURS in my neighborhood on Day of the Dead night (parade... yeeeaaahhh...), although we DO have a cosmic bond after 11 years together... She was NOT just sympathizing with me. I mean, steam was coming out of MY head, and I was screaming out the window for everyone to get the hell out of my neighborhood and off my streets so I could park, but she was actually sick. She had a fried fan and electrical system, amongst other things that I shant bore you with... Of course, I didn't know that, exactly, when I finally found a parking spot, stopped driving, and noticed the cloud. I thought she was ON FIRE at first, and I leapt out of the car, screaming and crying hysterically on 23rd Street thinking I was going to have to euthanize her. Turns out she stopped smoking. Or steaming, or whatever. The next day, I couldn't have her towed to my mechanic of choice -- The Toy Shop -- for myriad reasons. So I called my body shop of choice, Bryant Auto Body, and asked them to recommend a trustworthy mechanic. And that's how I met Ignacio at SOMA Automotive. Ignacio stuck around until 2:30 on a Saturday to receive Car. He was incredibly thorough with her, ordering and testing parts carefully, keeping me informed every step of the way of her progress, fulfilling my request to save costs by finding certified used parts rather than new ones straight from the dealer. When I came to pick her up, he gave me the full saga of how he solved the mystery of Car's electrical meltdown after a decade-long snafu (LONG story, like I said), and then he showed me all the parts he removed, and demonstrated for me how thoroughly shot they were. Yep, I believed him. Then he told me to go pick her up from the lot on the corner. WHERE SHE HAD BEEN DETAILED, INSIDE AND OUT, AT NO COST. I didn't even recognize her. I think I shed a tear. She hasn't shined like that since 1999. I'm so emotional right now. I want to keep going. Really. But I think I'm just going to go outside and cuddle with Car... This man can make your car feel young and beautiful again, too... Believe it. -
About
Discover
Languages
Countries
Copyright © 2004–2024 Yelp Inc. Yelp, 
, 
and related marks are registered trademarks of Yelp.