Looking for a place for Eva (my 1986 Honda Prelude Si) to get some TLC, I finally wandered to Wally's shop. No frills place, nothing fancy but they sure do know their stuff.
Needless to say my baby needs some minor extensive work, much more than just the required oil change I wanted for her. The guys there know their Hondas, knew exactly what was needed for my ride to be in tip top shape. But bad news for me, the work is gonna cost me a pretty penny. Wally's is very knowledgeable with their import cars, but dang the prices kinda show. I have no qualms with them probably doing high quality work but for me, average-pay Asian guy, labor rates run a bit high it seems. I'm guessing in the low hundreds per hour. And they are most likely worth it.
They took nearly an hour to look over my classic ride and get the oil change done. I could tell in Wally's face that I might not want the answers he had for me when the inspection was done. And wow, was I in for a doozy! Got a nice tiny seal breach starting on the power steering (gasket is wet) that needs to be monitored closely, which means I need to check on the power steering fluid each time I drive Eva. Unfortunately the only replacement is an entire new steering rack which will set me back some coin. I will need a major checkup down the line soon as well. Damn! Wish I was Super Mario right now so I could just whack a few bricks for some extra dough.
Warning for you wannabe classic car owners now...keep up proper maintenance! It will keep your ride healthy for more miles down the road. My only regret here is that I wasn't a trained mechanic myself so I could the work on my own baby.
Wally and his crew did good work going through Eva and keeping her right. I will probably be back for more service...as soon as I get some additional green in my wallet!