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autowave or niguel motors
- Thread starter s2kNSX
- Start date
That's almost exactly right.
But you kick back and look down to your mechanic! :biggrin::biggrin:
Can't go wrong with either, throw in John Martin and we're lucky to have all the choices available. Good luck!
Hmm, no.
Yes, Ramon is a friendly guy and his shop is smaller. But that's not saying that AutoWave is the opposite. They have a few more guys and a few more lifts, but they are still plenty friendly.
I didn't see Mike's reply is nearly the same negative light that some of you are making it out to be. Everyone on here can agree that Niguel Motors is cheaper. No one is saying the other guy does inferior work.
In my experience, Ramon/Tom do GREAT work. If you're the kind of person (me) who would gladly pay another 20% in cost, for perfection or things beyond OEM maintenance, then AutoWave is next best option.
Long story short: You can't go wrong at either shop. They both do great work and there is no need for us to pit them against each other.
When I first got my car about a year and a half ago, I didn’t exactly know where to take it ether.... So did some research and found out from the local Primers that Ramon was the man for the job.
Ever since then, I have taken my car to Ramon at Niguel Motors. For me it’s a 65 mile drive but it’s well worth the drive. Because Ramon & Tom are very knowledgeable, does a great job, honest, reasonable, and very friendly.
Ever since then, I have taken my car to Ramon at Niguel Motors. For me it’s a 65 mile drive but it’s well worth the drive. Because Ramon & Tom are very knowledgeable, does a great job, honest, reasonable, and very friendly.
I live in Phoenix so can't say that I have ever used, or will use, the services of either shop, since SOS is much closer : )
I'd like to add that Ramon is a damn good driver, was following him on the CalCoastal for awhile and was impressed at his driving skills. I suppose if I were choosing a new mechanic, I'd pick one that I can go driving with...
- Joined
- 16 November 2009
- Messages
- 198
Have gotten my car serviced at just about all the major NSX shops including Cerritos Acura (when Jon Martin was there), Autowave, and Ramon, and B-Line Motorsports. All four venues were excellent in service. Yes, Autowave was a bit pricey, but they did get the job done, and the car has had no issues since. When I got my other services done at Ramon's, it was nice to know that you could hang out while getting your car serviced--there was a warm comradery you felt at Niguel--it felt like Family. Also could tell that Ramon had his sometimes unorthodox way of taking care of problems--that worked! His prices were definitely reasonable and the quality of his service was spot-on. Depending on your needs, time, and distance you're willing to drive, I think any of the above that I mentioned all give quality service to our NSX community.
Hopefully this poll/thread can remain informative without any further negative comments to the contrary. I have never been to Niguel, but based on the comments of many who I know and respect, you would do well to go there for your TB/WP service. Personally, I have been a customer/fan/friend of Autowave since 2004 when I brought my hobbled Twin Turbo NSX project to them to sort out. Needless to say, my relationship with them is the one I hold most dear in all of my automotive endeavors. 1000 whp sounds like a lot and that's just scratching the surface of the NSX knowledge that you wll have available at Autowave. Shane has been exceedingly professional never to launder another's shop's dirty laundry after having sorted out the problems (caused by other shops) brought to them- I am specifically NOT talking about Niguel. Besides my NSX, I have (ITR) and will continue (MDX) to travel nearly 300 mile each way to Autowave for my services beyond a simple oil change. A TB/WP service? Fairly generic and easily accomplished here in Las Vegas for me. Nothing to be gained going to Niguel or Autowave, except that I know my continued patronage at Autowave will contribute to their business and ensure they will be there when I need them for their reliablity/expertise that isn't available here in Las Vegas, nor at Niguel, SOS, etc. I wish continued success to both Niguel and Autowave.
Best Regards,
Danny
Best Regards,
Danny
Funny.
Your shop (not you personally) kept my NSX Zanardi for several months, drove it around while you weren't working on it, and never solved the major problems on the car while you were happy to install new parts on it that I didn't need.
I failed my smog check. I called Niguel to inquire and all I can say is that Ramon went above and beyond to assist me. I went down to his shop (no appointment) and he started troubleshooting. Car eventually passed smog.
All this without a single penny given to Ramon.
Ramon feels like one of your friends you had "back in the days".
I was never a customer of Niguel Motors. After the experience, Ramon gained another customer for life.
THANK YOU RAMON!!!
All this without a single penny given to Ramon.
Ramon feels like one of your friends you had "back in the days".
I was never a customer of Niguel Motors. After the experience, Ramon gained another customer for life.
THANK YOU RAMON!!!
Both shops are excellent and I use both Ramon and Autowave based on my current needs. Being in a similar position to Autowave in my business, I can offer my perspective on comparing them.
I have been using Ramon for my maintenance exclusively and he has always been great. His work is solid, he is a great guy and his prices are fair. My supercharger maintenance, tuning and work goes directly to Autowave at all times. While Autowave can do any NSX related work and do it very well, they specialize in performance, tuning and high-end NSX projects. And while Ramon can also do performance work, he may not specialize in it at the level Autowave does. And Ramon will be the first to tell you that. Both are wonderful shops that fulfill a specific need for me.
In my business, we are also very specialized and serve a specific clientele. While we can certainly do an awesome job mounting a TV on a wall, not many people use us for that. We specialize in very custom work, our techs get paid very high wages for their expertise, and we are more expensive than most for that reason. Just like Autowave, people come to us when they want that "1000hp NSX" and want to know it will be done better than anyone else can do it.
So it's not completely fair to do an apples to apples comparison between these two shops. For the original question from the op, yes Ramon is a great place to take your NSX for the service. When it comes to maintenance and certain performance work, Niguel Motors is a great choice and you will always get a good price for that good work. If you go to Autowave for that same work, you are going to pay a premium, because the guys that are doing your maintenance are the same guys who can build you a monster vehicle. But there will come a time where you may want some serious forced induction, tuning, and the subsequent maintenance on that work. And when that time comes, Autowave will be the place to go. Once you reach a certain level, their specific expertise comes into play and that is also very valuable. It's likely Niguel Motors can do 95% of what Autowave can do, and can
do it very well, but it's that last 5% that requires enormous expertise and the expensive techs and overhead to perform. It makes it difficult for them to compete for that 95%, but when it comes to that last 5% there is no contest.
So I see both as very valuable, but also very different shops. I will be using Niguel Motors for years to come on my NSX, but there is still only one place my vehicle will go when it's time to work on the high-boost supercharger.
I have been using Ramon for my maintenance exclusively and he has always been great. His work is solid, he is a great guy and his prices are fair. My supercharger maintenance, tuning and work goes directly to Autowave at all times. While Autowave can do any NSX related work and do it very well, they specialize in performance, tuning and high-end NSX projects. And while Ramon can also do performance work, he may not specialize in it at the level Autowave does. And Ramon will be the first to tell you that. Both are wonderful shops that fulfill a specific need for me.
In my business, we are also very specialized and serve a specific clientele. While we can certainly do an awesome job mounting a TV on a wall, not many people use us for that. We specialize in very custom work, our techs get paid very high wages for their expertise, and we are more expensive than most for that reason. Just like Autowave, people come to us when they want that "1000hp NSX" and want to know it will be done better than anyone else can do it.
So it's not completely fair to do an apples to apples comparison between these two shops. For the original question from the op, yes Ramon is a great place to take your NSX for the service. When it comes to maintenance and certain performance work, Niguel Motors is a great choice and you will always get a good price for that good work. If you go to Autowave for that same work, you are going to pay a premium, because the guys that are doing your maintenance are the same guys who can build you a monster vehicle. But there will come a time where you may want some serious forced induction, tuning, and the subsequent maintenance on that work. And when that time comes, Autowave will be the place to go. Once you reach a certain level, their specific expertise comes into play and that is also very valuable. It's likely Niguel Motors can do 95% of what Autowave can do, and can
do it very well, but it's that last 5% that requires enormous expertise and the expensive techs and overhead to perform. It makes it difficult for them to compete for that 95%, but when it comes to that last 5% there is no contest.
So I see both as very valuable, but also very different shops. I will be using Niguel Motors for years to come on my NSX, but there is still only one place my vehicle will go when it's time to work on the high-boost supercharger.
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^Nicely put, ilya.
These two posts should pretty much sum up this thread. I couldn't have said it any better myself.
We should be thankful that we are very fortunate in this community to have shops that take good care and keep our already rare cars in tip top shape.
Cheers mates! Happy Motoring! :smile:
Although I don't have any experience with Niguel motors, my experience with autowave has always been positive. When I first got my NSX, their was a ton of stuff that needed to be replaced and fixed. Ultimately ended up getting the transmission rebuilt due to snap ring failure. I was also able to get the JDM short gears, type R final drive and the CT engineering headers through autowave and had them do the install during the transmission rebuild. This was back when comptech was reorganizing and everyone thought the parts were no longer available. I was also able to get the CTSC through autowave back when everyone still thought the parts were no longer available. I believe I was also one of the first to get the supercharger after the formation of CT engineering.
When KW came out with the V3 suspension, people on the forum were saying the kit would not fit and it was too big. When I had autowave do the install, only a handful of people had bought the suspension and were in the same boat as me. Additionally, I also had the NA1 ABS replaced with the NA2 ABS. At that time that was also a fairly new process (at least in the US). I basically dropped off my car and literally a truck bed filled with parts and let them get to it. When they were done, everything worked perfectly. They were even able to source some additional suspension parts that were better than the OEM, cost less, and were able to get the car corner balanced by a local race shop.
Considering how much of my car they have rebuilt and repaired, I personally don't worry or have regrets about any price difference between the shops. I have spent more money on repairs done by less competent mechanics at dealerships than I have at Autowave.
When KW came out with the V3 suspension, people on the forum were saying the kit would not fit and it was too big. When I had autowave do the install, only a handful of people had bought the suspension and were in the same boat as me. Additionally, I also had the NA1 ABS replaced with the NA2 ABS. At that time that was also a fairly new process (at least in the US). I basically dropped off my car and literally a truck bed filled with parts and let them get to it. When they were done, everything worked perfectly. They were even able to source some additional suspension parts that were better than the OEM, cost less, and were able to get the car corner balanced by a local race shop.
Considering how much of my car they have rebuilt and repaired, I personally don't worry or have regrets about any price difference between the shops. I have spent more money on repairs done by less competent mechanics at dealerships than I have at Autowave.
I have taken my NSX to Ramon to have my engine dropped for all seal replacements, hoses, WP, clutch...pretty much the whole shabang at once. I have also taken it in for header install and transmission swap when my snap ring failed.
I must say that Ramon has treated my car with care and has always been a pleasure to do business with. I am the type that will inspect the car on the lift before I will drive it away and never take the word of someone telling me "it's fixed." Not once was a bolt or nut missing or did I have to take my car back for any reason. He has done an extremely thorough job in my opinion. As for cost I will say that he has never mis quoted or increased the price last minute. He is one of few people where a hand shake still means something.
Lastly while I cannot directly compare Niguel Motors to Autowave, I will say that in addition to maintenance of my NSX I do, on occasion, ensure that my father's (Gallardo, Testarosa, Lotus, Porsche Turbo) are serviced appropriately. With that experience in mind, Ramon has just as good of service as any high-end exotic tech when it comes to taking care of your NSX and not cutting corners.
Nick
I must say that Ramon has treated my car with care and has always been a pleasure to do business with. I am the type that will inspect the car on the lift before I will drive it away and never take the word of someone telling me "it's fixed." Not once was a bolt or nut missing or did I have to take my car back for any reason. He has done an extremely thorough job in my opinion. As for cost I will say that he has never mis quoted or increased the price last minute. He is one of few people where a hand shake still means something.
Lastly while I cannot directly compare Niguel Motors to Autowave, I will say that in addition to maintenance of my NSX I do, on occasion, ensure that my father's (Gallardo, Testarosa, Lotus, Porsche Turbo) are serviced appropriately. With that experience in mind, Ramon has just as good of service as any high-end exotic tech when it comes to taking care of your NSX and not cutting corners.
Nick
I agree with what Gil is saying. I believe this post does not reflect well on our NSX community. I don't see a whole bunch of businesses out there that support our cars. We should be supportive to the folks that put up their money to run a business and service our cars. You ladies need to shut the F... up and just take your car in where ever you see fit. Stop trying to make one business appear better than another. Shame on all of you.
If you don't like what I say or my tone we can duke it out.
Manny
Totally agree. I didn't vote in the poll, and I think we should support both shops. Autowave dyno tuned my track car (Integra) and Ramon has done TB/WP on my NSX. I'm happy with both.
this thread is still alive?
I have no regrets for what I have stated in this thread!
I couldn't read this thread without posting my 2 cents... I've been taking my NSX to Ramon since I bought her back in 2008. He has yet to turn me away because he said he was "too busy"... And, I've pulled in a number of times without calling first in both my NSX and my Honda Ridgeline. Now I call that "Service"! I too consider Ramon and Tom friends and actually do look forward to spending my hard earned money at the shop...
too much mob mentality on this site for me to blindly follow recommendations. i am weary of any "forum's choice" as i have been bitten before by following their recommendations. (not this forum, but others) my problem was the guy was a forum member who opened a shop, he went to meets and such and made a group of friends on the forum, then had all his friends talk him up.
anyways, i originally went to autowave because they are local and i see nsx's there all the time. the service has been top notch, so i have gone there ever since. my car is in the hands of true specialists... tell them your problem and they know what it is... they probably even have the parts in stock. great service is worth driving for, but i see no reason why if there are local options for great service.
i drive 2 hours and take a train/ cab home and back to get my 300ZX serviced because they are the best... believe me, i get it. autowave reminds me of that shop and that is why i entrust my car with them. if niguel is somehow better or even equal to autowave, then by all means go there if you are local or have a relationship with them.
in the end though, as nice as these shops may be, their relationship is with your money... i spend hundreds of dollars just for travel/ food expenses when i take my 300ZX to get serviced, so as much as i have a relationship with them, i would rather go locally if i could get the same great service. if what everyone says is true about all these shops, then the NSX community is truly blessed... and i see no reason why you would go out of your way to find great service.
anyways, i originally went to autowave because they are local and i see nsx's there all the time. the service has been top notch, so i have gone there ever since. my car is in the hands of true specialists... tell them your problem and they know what it is... they probably even have the parts in stock. great service is worth driving for, but i see no reason why if there are local options for great service.
i drive 2 hours and take a train/ cab home and back to get my 300ZX serviced because they are the best... believe me, i get it. autowave reminds me of that shop and that is why i entrust my car with them. if niguel is somehow better or even equal to autowave, then by all means go there if you are local or have a relationship with them.
in the end though, as nice as these shops may be, their relationship is with your money... i spend hundreds of dollars just for travel/ food expenses when i take my 300ZX to get serviced, so as much as i have a relationship with them, i would rather go locally if i could get the same great service. if what everyone says is true about all these shops, then the NSX community is truly blessed... and i see no reason why you would go out of your way to find great service.
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Manny, did you actually read all the posts?
Seems to me that 95% of the them are supportive of both, or at least just saying the one they used is fine, without making any one out to be better than the other. I think you're overreacting and I don't like your tone. Put up your dukes. Patty
Now them is fighting words. Next cars and coffee bring your dukes and we will square off. Yes a lot of the posts are neutral, but not all of them. I just think if someone wants information they should ask off line. We need all the support we can get for our cars. It is just like saying I like one person better than another. Maybe it is true but not necessarily a good topic for general discussion. Just my thoughts. Having said that bring your dukes and some brownies won't hurt.
Manny
Manny
I won't be in town next Cars and Coffee but I'll have my dukes up the next time I see you. Unless you bring your doggy. I'd rather give your dog a hug.
