Thumbs up for Camshaft!!!

[RePete]

I get that a lot of techs at Toyota are shitty... but please PLEASE, for the sake of us that DO work there and DO know these cars (and not just me), please quit lumping us all into one pile!

Well, I know what you mean and I didn't mean to paint all Toyota techs w/ the same brush. So don't take offense. Hear me out first.

In the last 4.5 years I've been to 4 local dealerships, one in SoCal, one in Vegas, one in Washington State, one in Philadelphia and two in Ontario. During all that, I've never had the same tech twice. So from these Toyota techs that have serviced my SW20, none of them cared enough to give me even half the service Cam gave to me. It's probably not their direct fault, could be their managers rushing them along or else some corporate dictum directing them to cut corners.

So it's not like I want to whitewash all Toyota techs, I don't have a vendetta against them. But my experience has shown me that it's almost hopeless to get professional and caring service from the ones I've come in contact with. It's not like I haven't tried, you know. Based on the statistical odds over almost 5 years coupled with my sampling of dealerships, I would say most (all) don't give me the service I need. This wasn't the case 10 years ago with my Supercharged '89, I had good service on that one. Something happened in the last 5 years...

[mparkis]

Sad to say, but if Cam stops his good work, my car goes bye-bye.

This comment made me think...
This may be so true.
Cam, stay healthy. I can't afford an Elise just yet

[PearlWhiteMR2]

There are other techs out there who do work on the side, much like Cam does, and put forth the same quality and workmanship that he does, if not more. And I personally know of two Toyota techs like this. At work, yeah they're rushed because of the whole flawed flat rate system, which is supposed to work in favour of the technicians, the dealer, and the customer, and it does but it's not ideal for people with cars like ours. That being said, a Toyota is a Toyota and a lot of older Toyotas come into the shop and a lot of the technology is similar if not the same. MR2s are not rocket science, but if you don't see one every day, yeah it's going to take some time to figure out.

If you find a good tech, for sure hang onto them, Cam is a great guy for sure, but there are others out there and all you have to do is know the right people and ask around. And if anybody wants good dealer service, bring it to me, I'll be sure to look after it well and give it that extra special touch. I've had a few MR2s, Supras, etc. in the shop and I always give them extra care and my customers are very happy.

[RePete]

It's not just experience and technical wizardry I mean, we all know the subject of this thread has both. Maybe there are extremely good techs out there, but the talent is wasted because those attributes aren't coupled with determination and OCD - that's saved only for their own projects while excluding their customers. And that attitude is what leaves me unimpressed, it's the favoritism of where they direct their talents that irks me.

I think the secret is consistency across all repairs, no matter what make/model. A good tech like Cam won't just give 'extra care' to Supras and MR2s, he's not discriminating. He'll level the same care for any beater you're driving (even Hondas ). I know, he's serviced my Civic and he treated it the same as my deuce.

[PearlWhiteMR2]

I see nothing wrong with doing a great job on every car, and an exceptional job on cars that are exceptional. You're just finding something to pick about at this point, all I wanted to point out was that for those of us who work for dealers, don't bring me and my fellow co-workers and friends down with the rest of them.

[RePete]

I see nothing wrong with doing a great job on every car, and an exceptional job on cars that are exceptional....

My intention isn't to-pick nor be argumentative nor lump in all techs in the same bag - I've already explained that. I'm just relating my own experience with dealer techs in comparison w/ Cam. 20 years of dealership techs, and I have strong feelings about the slide in quality service.

But I do find that statement above reinforces what I've been posting about - favoritism. Who's to say what is exceptional, by whose definition is one car exceptional or not? I can only guess that 'great' is not the same as 'exceptional', so logic shows there are different processes for different owners. My mother's Camry is quite exceptional to her even though there are millions on the road. She won't shut-up about it - it's her baby. She wants an exceptional job done on it when she brings it in for service too.

[dh4ever]

Your job should be done to the best of your abilities in all situations, ie exceptional. That is the true definition of professionalism.

Not car related but I got a story: I was grouting some jacking pads in for a peice of equipment at westshore recently, I always push the grout into the pad and the concrete underneath, providing a slope up to the pad, now i was asked by an apprentice "why are you going through all that work for something that will be covered in concrete tomorrow and will never be seen again?" My response was " because this way I guarantee the pad will not break free when the equipment is put on it. If you just slop the grout Down, 98% of the time it won't break, but that two percent could be avoided by doing that extra work that really takes no more time, that's what it means to be a true professional, and people will notice, and you will be asked to do the really hard jobs, because they know you will always go that extra mile to do it perfect, everytime"

I ain't aiming to harp on anyone, but I have seen cams work. He is a professional. Doing exceptional all the time is what a real professional is.

[adam]

I think the secret is consistency across all repairs, no matter what make/model. A good tech like Cam won't just give 'extra care' to Supras and MR2s, he's not discriminating. He'll level the same care for any beater you're driving (even Hondas ). I know, he's serviced my Civic and he treated it the same as my deuce.

No doubt. I hope techs wouldn't treat my MR2 better than my Tundra because its a neat old car... My Tundra is worth a hell of a lot more

[PearlWhiteMR2]

Yes, and most people take their Camry's and Tundras to a shop, where most MR2 owners would not. Therein lies the difference. I do a professional job on all my work, and I go the extra mile unlike some other technicians I know.

Where I treat a car exceptionally, is when I do have a soft spot in my heart for the car. I know everybody here, given the chance, would not give a Camry a second look compared to a Supra. You would be exceptional with that car because you care about it. It's like anything, you care more about your car than your buddies' car, etc. etc.

I am not here to argue, and obviously one thing I said has been taken and ran away with. I have learned from being in this trade that it is important to go the extra mile for every car, and do the job right the first time, and that's how I'm being taught. BUT, if an MR2 or Supra rolls into the shop, yeah I am going to take my time with it and be a little more careful as so not to spill a fluid on something or to ensure I don't leave a speck of dirt anywhere. Do most customers expect this? Absolutely. But in a flat rate shop, you just aren't allowed to take that kind of time with every single car.

Realistically, I'd love to spend double the allotted time on EVERY car and make SURE everything is perfect, but when the customer is pacing around and waiting, and the service advisors are breathing down your neck, you can't. I do some work on the side, and I get customers at work requesting only I work on their vehicles specifically as well, and I make sure I try to go the extra mile for them when I can. At home, I do regardless of what kind of car it is.

I guess it was really taken out of context, but in a flat rate shop, you simply cannot be overly anal about every car, but for a special car with an owner whose mentality is similar to mine, yeah I am going to stretch it for them.

Cam blah blah this and that, but I'm not talking about working at home, I'm talking about a SHOP environment. Anyway, this has gone on long enough. I know people don't like me around here, and that's fine can't please everyone, but I am just tired of all techs being painted with the same brush. As anybody would.

[RePete]

...I know people don't like me around here, and that's fine can't please everyone, but I am just tired of all techs being painted with the same brush...

I don't know where that came from, I like ya just fine and I know others do too. Why else would I hang around you and Jordan for half a summer for chrissakes?

Don't take this so personally, Sarah. I can't speak for others, but I'm just stating some dealer experiences vs. Cam's service, and I like Cam's blah blah service better - that's all. Don't worry about it.

[Au2bot]

Just another thumbs up for Cam! I don't think it nec matters what make car he works on (he'd worked on my 87 mr2 and now, my 94 miata)...he does good work, quite thorough (with email follow ups/questions..) and still at quite reasonable rates as well! In brief, he just did the clutch slave and replaced some fluids/trans, shifter turret, and rear diff and as a bonus, inspected brakes n belts FREE with recommendations/suggestions!...hopefully that was ok to say?!
Thanks again cam

[PhoenixMedia]

Just had some recent repairs tackled by Cam and want to post Kudos.

Appreciated how detailed oriented, knowledgeable and skilled a mechanic Cam is. He
replaced both clutch & alternator on ’93 MR2. Did a great job, from sourcing parts through to install.
Even helped me keep driving (& working) with some ‘temp’ parts. Amazing stuff, and truly above and beyond.

I am very happy to have found him and hope he’s looking forward to seeing my car with some other repairs in the future.


Thanks Cam.

[dh4ever]

Another thumbs up for cam!

we just had a lengthy disscussion about a whole bunch of things with my car, and helped me diagnose some things that no one could give me answer on. thanks man for all the info and input! really helped with my project. And thanks for letting me constantly bug you with questions. You always have answers to what I want to know

Keep up the good work man!!!

[7FigureSwagger]

Another thumbs up for cam!

we just had a lengthy disscussion about a whole bunch of things with my car, and helped me diagnose some things that no one could give me answer on. thanks man for all the info and input! really helped with my project. And thanks for letting me constantly bug you with questions. You always have answers to what I want to know

Keep up the good work man!!!

Was going to spell out the same thing, haven't seen you yet for work cam, since the car got totalled by a range,
Although I knew exactly where to start after speaking with you, and the car ran great! Before her death lol
Anyways thumbs up again!!
-7

[MR2Turbo]

So I brought my car to Cam for the first time and I don't think I'm ever bringing the mr2 to anyone else again.
Cam can figure out a problem in no time and have things fixed before you even have the chance to read the email with his detailed list of diagnostics.
He really knows these cars and his rates are phenomenal for the services he offers. He's great at explaining the importance of certain issues he's identified and diagnosed in the car, and always asks for approval before beginning work on something he's found wrong with the car.
He's also really patient with people with limited understanding of certain automotive details and explains things really well, rather than just fixing it. I like to know what's going on with the car every step of the way. He even texted some photos as he was doing the work!
Cam did the coil pack, exhaust, downpipe, plugs, rewired my stereo, boost gauge, diagnosed the speedometer issue and much much more. He also provided a massive list of potential concerns with the car that he noticed at first glance.
Bringing the car back to him for some more work soon
Thanks Cam!