Total Automotive Maintenance

I have known this mechanic for over 23 years now; I use to live up in the Maryland/Washington DC area where Bill took great care of my cars; every thing from reminding me of timely maintenance to coming out to the highway to help me. One incident happend during an afternoon in 1979; a few weeks prior to this particular day I had, on my own, installed one of those nifty AMP guages. Well the short story version is that the wire insulation wore away right where I had punched a hole in the fire wall, shorted-out and set fire to my whole electical system. Fortunatly, I had one of those portable fire-extingushers in the back and put out the fire; but, only after the wires were all fried. Well I called my car shop and Bill drove out to where I was, and with an extra battery and a spool of wire, cut-out the burned harness and did a point-to-point rewireing of the primary ignition system. He finished before dark so I was able to drive straight to his shop with him following me. It took a couple of days, but his shop completely rewired my chevy. Now, every few years, whenever I need a "new" used car I just call Bill up and tell him I'm in the market again; it usually takes a month or so, but he finds me car and checks it over for me. I spend less than going thru a dealership, a bit more than buying from an ad in the paper, but he has always made sure I had a vehicle that was safe and sound. I drive back up to Md. at least once a year to visit family and friends; and I always make an appointment and drop my car off at Bill's shop for a day to have him go over it bumper to bumper to have done whatever he deems necessary; he has "blank check" from me. Sometimes it costs me just a few dollars for an oil change and tune-up, other times more for major work that really needs to be done. Even now that I live in Florida, I still call and describe to Bill any new noises or querks my car is having and he tells me what to check out and if it something that I need to have taken care of down here right away, or if it can wait until my next trip back north. I have gotten five cars thru Bill over the years and he has always done a great job for me of finding and maintaining my cars; Since my AMP gauge experience, I have never again put in my own "modifications" to a car, nor have I ever since been stranded on the side of a road with car trouble beyond a mere flat tire; girlfriend touble yes, due to "helpful" passing motorist and a not-so-dark highway pullover spot but that's a different story.