Albuquerque
Dustin Brown = Honest Mechanic I don’t know much about what goes on under the hood of my Subaru or my lady’s Toyota, where the engine runs as if by magic, an animated brain fed by a variety of fluids, a bunch of metal gears connected by belts. So I have to trust someone to take care of my cars and not overcharge me. And I trust the Browns. I’ve had a variety of work done on both cars over the past year--mostly minor repairs and maintenance, but a few big jobs including a radiator replacement and strut replacement. Everything has been flawless except in one case where, when an issue persisted, the problem was fixed the next morning. Honestly, I trust a man more when he is willing to correct an honest mistake. I have also, on a few occasions, stopped by with a quick automotive question, and had it answered happily. In one case, Dustin topped me off with a little bit of fluid free to tackle what turned out to be a simple problem, and I’m sure he could have rooked me and recommended a costly repair. He reminds me, in his care for his craft, of the old mechanic named Ross whose shop was right down the street from where I grew up in New Jersey. My dad and I would often walk down there when he had to pick up his old black Chevy Nova (we called it the Batmobile; the floor beneath the floormat was rusted through, so that you could see the road passing by if you held the mat up), and I would listen to him talk while walking past the old rusted cars lying around his gas-station. Prices at Brown’s are competitive; for instance their price for the radiator came in lower than the estimate I got from a national chain and not too much higher than an estimate from an unlicensed friend of a friend. But, more important than the price, getting service by the local guy with a proven track-record is so much better than having it done by some anonymous conglomerate or a potential ignoramus. Stop by Brown’s on 4th Street if you have a problem with your car and need an honest mechanic.