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| - I'm not a car enthusiast, but I can't imagine living without my car. It is like an extension of me. It allows me to be Jacques Cousteau, on land.
I wanted to drive a car as far as I can remember. My parents have a picture of me at the age of around 3 sitting on my father's lap grabbing the steering wheel of our Mustang and looking quite serious as if I was focusing on passing someone on the track and ready to give the finger. Instead of roller coasters as a kid, I loved the cars you could actually steer, albeit limited to a track at Centerville. I loved the bumper cars and later on go-karts.
It was about freedom and control. It wasn't as much about the machine to me, as I wasn't a gear head. I didn't care as much about the performance of my car, or what the rims looked liked, or how I could lower my car. I will admit, I did have a short phase of that, and did have a sports car, but predominately it was the fact it expanded my world.
Even at a young age, back when 12 year olds could run around the neighbourhood without having a tracking device on them, I would explore. I would wander the downtown core of Toronto until it got dark and had to go home for dinner. Because of my years of exploring, I know the downtown core like the back of my hand. There is no street I don't know east of Bathurst, west of Broadview from the waterfront to Bloor. I would walk and walk and walk.
My world expanded when I finally bought my own bike. For the next several years, I'd hop on my bike and just ride. I went on every trail the city had to offer and my expeditions became greater. It would bring me to the eastern edges of Scarborough, the western front of Etobicoke and northern regions of Thornhill. When I got sick of those trails, I'd make even bigger treks, and a few times even multi-day trips out to St. Catherines and even Lake Simcoe. It wasn't about the cycling it self, but as a kid who was predominately confined to a 2 km square diameter of the downtown core. 50 km away might as well be Egypt.
When I finally got sick of riding the TTC to York University from downtown, and figured that each school year, I would have spent 1 full week of my life riding the subway. I got a car. A crappy little tiny car from a buddy of mine in which my insurance cost more than the car itself.
This gave me access to an even bigger world. I was finally able to make friends from Markham and Mississauga and Richmond Hill, and Woodbridge and Scarborough. I would drive and drive and drive. I drove to Montreal. I drove to Ottawa. I drove to Buffalo. I drove to Boston. I drove to Manhattan.
And since then I've been looking for a reliable mechanic. Luckily for me I haven't had too many issues with my cars, but I'd go where ever I could find a deal. But after all these years I've never found someone I felt comfortable with. I want that same relationship with my mechanic like with my Doctor. I want someone I can trust. Someone I could respect.
I've been reading about 360 auto and this guy named Chi for years now. He's essentially synonymous with a good honest mechanic and Honda vehicles if you just google "honda mechanic Toronto". I finally went in to see him and was extremely happy with the service. Turns out he and his crew all originate from the downtown core like me. He didn't seem to want to hustle like every other mechanic I've ever been to. The price was fantastic. I've needed a rear brake job, and got a quote of $600 from the dealership. Then got a quote of $350 from Master Mechanics whom I had previously been going to, however they're just not open on the weekends. And finally $250 from Chi. Provided everything holds up like it should, and every indicators from other web forums it should, they blow everyone else out of the water. Jacques Cousteau would be proud.
Now I can go back to my explorations...
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