I first went to Alan Auto on a whim - my 1984 Volvo 240 broke down in Portland and I could hardly make it the mile to Alan's shop. I was weary at first, Alan can come off as arrogant -- but after talking to him and coming back to the shop a few times, I realized he was just kinda intense. And once he realized I was serious about my car, and loved it a lot, he was really happy to educate me and work with me to understand what was going on. I am a Volvo owner who likes to know what mechanics are doing, and why. I don't take kindly to service that doesn't make sense. Alan fixed my initial problem (the running/starting) and found out that my mass air flow sensor was broken. I had replaced that part just a year before and I was bummed, to say the least. Alan worked with me to get a refund from the parts shop in Portland, Oregon where I got the last mass air flow sensor. He got me $200 back from the shop by talking to their mechanic! It was awesome.
Since then I've brought my car in for body work (yes, body work is expensive, if you don't want to spend 1k or more then don't deal with the rust on your car, or figure out how to fix it yourself :) and for general maintenance. Since the body work I've made it clear to Alan that my priority, now that my 240 is in pretty good shape again, is to be able to drive it where I need to go. He responded really well and has been cutting me deals, giving me parts (used, of course), and calling me when cheap parts are in that he knows I need.
Alan loves Volvos, and if you love your car I definitely urge you to take it to Alan Auto! I've learned a lot about my car from Alan. He is an intense guy, but if you specify your needs and make your expectations really clear you can have a great experience at this shop! My car is looking and running better than ever.
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