Review, Indy Shop: Boston Motor Werks
Boston Motor Werks
1000 Pleasant St.
Belmont, MA 02478
(617) 489-0291
Why I went there...
Yes, Boston Motor Werks is 147 miles from my house. Yes, it's in another state. Yes, there are closer shops I could have gone to. Now that we have all of those inevitable questions answered, I'll move on to the important stuff.
My first time I went to Boston Motor Werks, I wasn't there for service. I was there with Charlie, for what I don't quite remember. I was just "along for the ride". Upon arrival, I found an impressive display of knowledge by the shop's owner, Rob. As we talked, I could tell he knew his stuff about BMWs. I haven't seen any other cars he was servicing other than BMWs, so I figured he's got to specialize in them (hence the name of the shop). I made an appointment for a pre-tech inspection for my upcoming track day.
I went back, perhaps a week or two later, to get my pre-tech inspection done. I wasn't expecting much that needed addressing; the car was pretty much in the same shape as my last pre-tech a few months prior. Boy was I in for a surprise. There were a number of things that needed addressing that the other shop didn't pick up on, such as all four of my shocks being blown. That was a massive surprise, as the car generally felt fine to me while driving. There were a host of other smaller problems, so I knew I would be out for the count on the final track event of the year. I also knew that I would have someone who knew the in's and out's of these cars working on it.
The process
I went back almost 2 months later to get the things fixed. We went through all of the needed parts and part #'s beforehand, so all I had to do was hand him the list of Part #'s he gave me and he would order them up and install them. A loaner car was provided, which I have never been offered anywhere (a '99 528iT, free of charge - only pay for gas). Took the keys and off I went home while Wobz got worked on.
During the install, we came to the finding that one of the springs was collapsed. We decided that a new set of springs would be ordered as well, but the point here is that I was called before this work was done. Some shops I've been to would have just ordered it and tacked it on to the bill without asking, but Rob paid me the courtesy of a call, a much appreciated action. We took off the fuel filter from the action item list to save on costs and put the springs in instead.
When the car was completed, I got a call with the total figures. I'm not going into details on the payment process, but I can tell you that Rob worked with me on the payment methods so that it would be easier for me. That's another thumbs up right there for making things easy.
I drove up, collected the car, and all was well. Throughout the process, I was treated with respect, and was given heads up on an item that I should look into in the very near future to prevent potentially serious issues. This attention to detail is what I look for in a place that services BMWs, and am glad to have found it here.
Customer service
Boston Motor Werks gives a warranty on their work. I can't quite remember what that particular length of time was, but they also honor the warranty on the Genuine BMW Parts they use. For the items that really count, genuine is used whenever possible, which enables them to honor the same warranty BMW gives on it. The work they do to your car is also covered if an issue arises with that work within the specified timeframe.
I had to take advantage of this warranty less than a week later. Clunking returned in the front of the car, which was supposed to have been remediated by the service. The car was fine for a few days and then the clunking reared its ugly head. I contacted Rob after the weekend was over, and he made time for me the next day at my request.
When I arrived, he immediately took my car in upon arrival and had another technician look at the issue. In less than an hour, the issue was inspected and resolved. In and out, no additional charges, just like the warranty honors.
Conclusion
Overall, I am very impressed with Boston Motor Werks. It sucks for me that I live so far away from them. The regular shop rate is a little bit higher than what I'm used to, but personally I have found that when it comes to car service, there is a fine balance between you-get-what-you-pay-for and overcharging. Boston Motor Werks falls right into the "you get what you pay for" category. To give you an idea where this falls, here's the chart:
"Low rates, but shitty service"
"Okay rates, okay service"
"Average rates, hit-or-miss service"
"Higher rates, pretty good service"
Same as above rates, but excellent service
--- Boston Motor Werks fits in this spot ---
Dealer rates, excellent service, but overcharging
That's right. You get quality work for a price that's far less than dealer pricing. Their rate is only $8 more an hour than my previous place, so the increase in knowledge in BMWs and quality parts is way worth that $8.
Short version:
Dhuuuuuuu eeeeeetttt.
