Club 80-90 Forums

I've had my van since March 2004. Since then it feels as if I've had practically everything replaced on it! It has been trouble from the very start, but after having it's engine replaced last year I was hoping for a few trouble free trips - not so!!! I am not mechanically minded and rely on garages to help me keep going and feel that it is time to try a new garage. Can anyone suggest a good reliable garage in the Hitchin, Letchworth, Stevenage Area?

Im from Codicote, and the garage I have used for years is David Thomas Garages also in Codicote.

Although I haven't used them with T25's, I have sometime seen a few outside from time to time.

Their phone no is: 01438 820288

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I use WA in Eaton Bray near Dunstable. Wayne is a real old school mechanic and specialises in old VW's especially air cooled. My father in law uses him too and he is very reasonable.

His number is 01525-222223

The above Wayne used to work for a guy called Archie, he died about 7 years ago and Wayne set up himself. He has worked on VW's for 20 years that my family have used him. He is a gent, and knows his stuff. I have not used him since Archie died though. When i was into the air cooled scene in the early 1990's people would travel from all over southern England to have work done on their dubs. They know allot about T25's, as well.

Aha! So Eaton Bray is famous then... for something

i wasn't impressed with him, we had him fix a leaky exhaust, and set the timing up, we'd only gone a few miles back towards home when the van started kangaroo jumping all over the place, we went back - he had not put everything back - something in the engine wasn't connected, and so it was rough!
its not run right since, we have given up going back to him - after 3 attempts!
also not happy with him smoking in the van while sitting in the driving seat, and while removing the carb top !!!

Thank you for your replys I shall look into your suggestions.

their is a VW specialist in Gamlingay, a little further than stevenage I know he has only done welding for me so I cannot comment on his T25 knowledge.

it might be worth you having a chat with the guys in GSF hitchin, they usually have business cards there and can recommend someone. I got recommendations for a volvo expert from them who changed my head gasket very well and reasonably priced too.

I live in East Herts near Hertford Town. Short of good T25 specialists here. One place I definiteley would NOT recommend is 1st Call MOT & Service Centre in Mill Road Hertford, SG13 7AA. Absolutely useless! They had my T3 Westy parked up at their garage for 6 weeks when it failed the MOT last July with a leaking fuel tank, wheel bearings and corroded brake pipes. Every day for 5 weeks they assured me they were going to start the work "within the next few days". Ar5holes also said they were taking my camper inside the garage every evening until one night I went down there to check and found my camper outside and unlocked I quickly learned through this forum how to do stuff myself and for that I shall be eternally grateful to all you helpful souls out there Recently managed to exchange a dodgy Turbo all by myself

Get in contact with the Herts VW club. They meet at the Cricketers pub in Redbourn, 2nd Tues each month. Ask for Chris Simpson, He used to train VW mechanics when Vw built decent vehicles. Chris is fantastic, if he can't fix it No one can. Also the club is great, very social and you get discount from a load of traders. I'm not a sales person, My Wife and I were part of the organising commitee, then we moved west! Have fun

P.S , Archie De Souza fleeced me. Never went back.

Went to Archie for years, Wayne did loads of great welding, and Archie was the only guy who could properly set up carbs etc. I watched him once cut and weld a front beam for a beetle, he had a great deal of skill. He would lie through his back teeth though to impress, you had to know him, to work around that, I would always try and hang about whilst they were working, as they were capable of good work, but also of taking shortcuts. They were always ridiculously busy, with a steady stream of people beating down the door, asking questions, getting in the way.
He was a bit of a rogue, but garages always seem to have varying reports from customers, and Archie certainly had a following.
I saw Archie once selling 5litre cans of Quantum oil on the roadside in Finsbury London, I asked him what he was doing, and he told me he enjoyed the bartering, he did always like to be center of attention. That was the man he was.
The alternative back in the early 90's was to go to VW main dealer.

splity61 wrote:Get in contact with the Herts VW club. They meet at the Cricketers pub in Redbourn, 2nd Tues each month. Ask for Chris Simpson, He used to train VW mechanics when Vw built decent vehicles. Chris is fantastic, if he can't fix it No one can. Also the club is great, very social and you get discount from a load of traders. I'm not a sales person, My Wife and I were part of the organising commitee, then we moved west! Have fun

Thanks for the info. I now see they also have a website. Think I'll check this lot out at their next get together in June