The Lusty Wrench (Cleveland Heights, OH) Mechanic(s): Sam Bell
2120 Lee Road , Cleveland Heights, OH 44118 (216) 371-8150
Features and Specialties: No speciality that i know of.

Please send us any corrections or additions to the above information. If you have experience with this shop, please add your own review!

Survey results:

They are always honest
They are competent
The repair price is always reasonable
They fix the problem the first time
They complete the work in a timely manner
They respond well when they screw something up
They take the time to explain the problems and necessary repairs
The shop is located in a safe neighborhood
The hours of operation are convenient for customers
They treat male and female customers in the same manner
They are near public transportation (or provide loaners, shuttle bus, rides as needed)

Reviewers Comments:

Sam has been more than willing to send us home several times without fixing anything on the car (and without charging us), when our concerns were due to things not needing repair (e.g., being an old car, cheap aftermarket parts put on by another repair shop before we found Sam). Sam has never put pressure on us to make repairs we couldn't afford, and has always treated my wife and I equally. We have been very pleased with his work and price.

it's always enjoyable to discuss cars in general with Sam..He has a lot of general knowledge about cars..

Sam is a unique kind of mechanic who is highly knowledgable on a variety of subjects and who adds his personal life philosophy to his work. He told me how philosophically opposed he was to working on my Range Rover and agreed to do so only if I sold it. On the other hand, he was always more than happy to do whatever was required to keep my Volkswagon Jetta on the road. Sam focuses on the problem at hand, if something is not working he will fix it and if he finds other problems he'll discuss the importance of fixing them. He will not make repairs that can wait unless you ask him too. Because he is an excellent mechanic, it generally does not take him long to figure out what needs to be repaired and repairing it, which keeps his cost fair and reasonable. I have recommended The Lusty Wrench to several friends and all of them have been equally satisfied with the service.

Sam & Co. have watched my once-new cars as they accumulated thousands of miles over the years, and patiently put them back together again -- sometimes on quite short notice -- when needed. They understand about older cars, the part about not fixing stuff that doesn't matter, or that can be used for a while longer. This is a garage you can grow up with.

Sam is knowledgable on any topic, I have not yet been able to catch him uninformed anywhere from politics to Burma Shave signs. Trying to catch him is a plesent pastime and, since he cannot supply the instantaneous gratification (repair)I'd like. He has a wonderful s.o.h. And can tell all the old ones better than I can. Rather than supply new ones, he relys on his natural wit. Joe is quiet, competent, hardworking. He has a good s.o.h. but it's hard to get him to bellylaugh. The shop is from sometime in the 1920's and they keep it looking that way (except for the lifts, electronic testing equipment, and a dusty red Porsche thats been sitting in the corner for several years-Sam maintains that it runs!) Oh yeah, both are Excellent mechanics.

Having recently moved out of state, I really miss these guys. The Lusty Wrench was recommended to me by a friend when I was in need of a mechanic pretty desperately. Sam, et al. did a really great job. I was so impressed with everyone's competence level and workmanship that I returned several times thereafter. When I knew I was moving away, I knew I could trust everyone at the Lusty Wrench to give me a good tune-up before my long trip. I'm just sorry I can't continue to go back.

Finding Sam has clearly added years to my life. Being able to drop a car off when its not working and knowing that it will either be fixed properly or I will be told to igore it or get rid of it, takes a lot of pressure off my mind.

I can't say enough good things about Sam and his staff. Most impressive is the fact that when we've taken our car in and nothing's been wrong, Sam's actually told us that and hasn't charged us for looking at the car.

Would take my car to Sam and the gang in a heartbeat. Always informative, and the only do necessary work at a fair price. A community treasure, albeit with a greasy one.

Very honest about when the car was ready to be traded in. Went the extra mile to make sure that we got the muffler guarantee to which we thought we were entitled. Drove in the snow and cold to pick up my children and me when the muffler dropped right off the car - at no extra charge and with very minimal grumbling.

A friend referred me to the Lusty Wrench five years ago and I've been hooked ever since. I concur with everything everyone else has said. We've had three different cars (Ford, Chevy, VW) to the guys and they've always been honest about what does and doesn't need to be done. So, when they tell me I should really do something, I believe them. As a female, I've always felt like they've dealt with me the same as they would a man. More than once I've had my car towed and left it in their lot. And, the before/after hours drop off/pick up system is great. It's one less thing to be stressed about when you don't have your car. They also referred me to a body shop when my car was in an accident and I was very pleased with the referral.

I'd like to add two comments: First, Sam is an extremely eco-conscious mechanic who has told me that he thinks cars are the devil's spawn and is not shy about telling customers to get rif of their SUVs. He also supports e-check, which politicams like to explaot like the supposed crisis in gasoline prices. he writes op-eds and generally puts himself on the line. Secondly, he's honest. I had a problem once that he just plain couldn't figure out. he agreed with me about the symptoms and tried several things, but no luck. One day he called me to tell me had found the answer in a listserve- another mechanic with the same problem found the answer, and Sam successfully applied it.

First mechanic I've ever met who I trust. I love that they're willing to answer my endless questions, and I appreciate their opinions on cars, society, and the environment. Always a pleasure.

We'll never take our cars anywhere else from now on. They know cars, tell it like it is and are a pleasure to deal with.

My family and I (and all my friends who tell me they're having car trouble) have been taking our cars to Sam since the mid 1980's. There's no-one better or more honest and fair than him. (Joe's a close second.) He's the only mechanic I know of who rides his bicycle to work.

I found The Lusty Wrench from some online reviews (before I even heard of Car Talk), because I was wary of taking my car to just any mechanic, being a female with limited knowledge of cars. I've been satisfied with the work they've done in the 5 years that I have been in Cleveland. I have to move soon and will be sad that I have to find a new mechanic whom I trust. Sam always takes time to explain everything and is very patient while doing so, even when it's late and he could be going home. I sincerely appreciate their honesty and hard work. I hope that's an example to other places that duplicity is not the way to win customers or get ahead in life. I highly recommend The Lusty Wrench to anyone who wants a skilled and trustworthy mechanic to take care of their car.

You can fill out the survey or just add a quick comment about this shop.