Garages recomended Non UK
France
Fully Loaded Cali Atelier Mecanique, Bruno Servouze. 1 Rue Du Pont - 37150 Civray De Touraine Tel - 02 47 23 94 11
He does not speak any English, but is good at drawing pictures and thinks French cars are sh!t.
Nearest town is TOURS, based on the river about 5km from Chenonceaux.
Campsite Le Moulin Fort is 5 min down the road (English owned - very, very helpful). He knows his VW's.
I know some mechanics, but this guy I can only describe as a 'Doctor' in mechanics.
When I went to collect the van it was together as far as the head was back onto the block. I got a bit worried but he assured me it would be ready 'very soon' and gave me a beer.
It took him 'on his own' just 2.5 hrs to build the engine back up. Pump, fuel pipes, belts, cables, rocker cover, water pipes, turbo connections, air filter, oil filter, re-fil oil, re-fill cooling, electrics, power steering hydraulics, exhaust down pipe & back box. Fire up, run & check bleed radiator, and anything else i forgot
I paid him up and gave him all the tins of Banks's beer out of the van i could find! I was going to give him my pork scratchings but thought he may think the Engish as 'very' strange so thought better of it
ewenmaclean Friendly mechanic - Bordeaux/Arcachon area
After cycling around every garage my pathetic legs could take to, and being met with refusal almost everywhere, I finally found a small place with a boat outside, who allowed me to use his lift, and said I could do it myself and hire the space. He's a general mechanic and was out dealing with other people's cars in the morning I did it, but came back to help out for bits where two hands help. Gearbox off, clutch off, flywheel off, all cvs taken off and cleaned up, all back together with new oil pump in 4 hours. I'm not going to pretend it was cheap, but I was really grateful to find somewhere that let me do this myself and was willing to help.
The guy is called Patrice - he doesn't speak any English, and don't be too friendly with his dog, but he's a decent and honest bloke.
His address is
180 avenue denis papin 33260 LA TESTE DE BUCH
and the place was a tyre place called "Road Riders" but don't mix it up with a bigger kwik-fitesque place up the road which was predictably useless.
