Hello,

I was wondering if you have any advice on finding the best local shop/mechanic to do work on my G37s (2008 MT Coupe). I've asked and none of my friends can recommend a shop that has specific Nissan/Infiniti/G37 experience. In particular:

• I'm not a mechanic nor have I done any DIY stuff. I'm keen on learning and have some experienced friends who are helping. i.e. Stuff like installing rotors would be doable, absorbers+ not so much.
• I have a good general idea of what work I want to have done on my car. I bought the car used recently, knew the previous owner, and have had inspections done.
• I'm looking to save some money by choosing and purchasing my own parts. I want to pragmatically move away from OEM to better quality when something needs to be replaced.

I guess generally I have a few related questions:

• How important is it to find a mechanic/shop that is specifically familiar with working on Nissan/Infiniti?
• Is general Nissan/Infiniti experience sufficient or is experience specifically with a G37 important?
  • I'm planning to look for parts that should be standard fit, but they won't be OEM.
  • I trust the forum community here to steer me in the right direction of which parts are best for me, so probably I don't need as much help with selection locally from a mechanic.
• How important is it to find a specific mechanic? (is finding a shop generally speaking good enough?)
• Can I generally save money by sourcing my own parts? At the least I like the idea of being able to research and choose my replacement parts.

Anything else you can think of that I might be missing? I'm on a budget and not looking for major performance mods. I'm happy paying fair rates for quality work and where I'm leaving behind dealer servicing.

Thanks!

 

That is because there aren't any! The ones that work for Nissan/Infiniti are well paid working at the dealers and getting the proper factory training and access to the Consult software which independent mechanics do not have access to


Start with oil and filter changes.

Telcoman

 

I'd just do a google search and see where the Z guys in your area are taking their cars. That's how I found out about Hill's down the road from me.

 

Post a thread in the regional forums.

If you're talking about maintenance or removing OE parts and replacing with aftermarket, you don't exactly need a shop dedicated to Nissan/Infiniti, although they will be familiar with more platform specific jobs like replacing the rear differential bushings.

In my experience, most shops aren't enthusiastic about customer supplied parts.

 

The only reason that is is because they can't make any money on the parts. Most places get heavy discounts on parts to begin with, and then they add a markup to them before they bill you.

Lets say you get the generic Carquest blank rotors from Advance. A regular walk-in customer will pay ~$55 per rotor. A shop with a commercial account may only pay $30, if that, for the same rotor, then turn around and charge you $75 per rotor.

That's an easy profit they are not getting if they would let customers supply parts.

 

I know. They'll justify it by saying they warrant the work for so many months/miles and they can't do that if you bring in the parts blah blah blah.

In all honesty, if you want to mod your car, you're better off saving the money you would otherwise spend on installation and investing in your own tools and learning to DIY the mods.

 

Thanks, that was helpful. At the least I found from the Z forums which shops definitely to avoid. There are 2 main performance shops here that have experience with Nissan. Not sure I'd be saving any money on labour over Infiniti itself in this case but at least I have more control over which parts I want installed.

Ya this makes sense. When the weather is warmer, a friend is going to help me with the rotors and so I can see how it's done. I'll start with some of the fluid change stuff on my own also.

 

Knowing where you live could be helpful. Members he may have info. Go to local meets and ask owners. You'll learn where to trust and where not to.