Looking for a trustworthy shop near NYC or NJ

[TWO STEP TEX]

Replaced my valve cover this past week because it was squealing and I think one or both of the crank seal is damaged as well. I don't have the bandwidth to do this myself so I'm looking for a shop I can trust. I'm willing to drive into NJ or outside NYC if necessary. I took it to a so called BMW specialist in Queens and they kinda ripped me off. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[3002 tii]

Most shops in Northern NJ / NYC will charge arm and leg. I know a guy not affiliated with a shop who does repairs and mods for very reasonable price. DM me and I’ll send you his info.

[TheM3Chase]

Originally Posted by TWO STEP TEX

Replaced my valve cover this past week because it was squealing and I think one or both of the crank seal is damaged as well. I don't have the bandwidth to do this myself so I'm looking for a shop I can trust. I'm willing to drive into NJ or outside NYC if necessary. I took it to a so called BMW specialist in Queens and they kinda ripped me off. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Hey, Tex! Not sure if you are still looking but check out King's Automotive in Bloomingdale!

https://g.co/kgs/bHYCbx

973-668-3137
King's Automotive
172 Glenwild Avenue
Bloomingdale, NJ 07403

I've gotten a lot of work done there before and the quality and prices have always been fair and consistent.

Ask for the owner, Jackie!

[TWO STEP TEX]

Originally Posted by TheM3Chase

Hey, Tex! Not sure if you are still looking but check out King's Automotive in Bloomingdale!

https://g.co/kgs/bHYCbx

973-668-3137
King's Automotive
172 Glenwild Avenue
Bloomingdale, NJ 07403

I've gotten a lot of work done there before and the quality and prices have always been fair and consistent.

Ask for the owner, Jackie!

Thanks for the referral, they look like they know what they're doing. Will check them out for sure.

[vick403]

Agreed that most shops in NYC and NJ charge absurd prices.
From experience I have found that MPowerhouse in the Bronx are very good with BMWs and likely will be able to handle any issues you throw at them. Another good one would be AutoCouture in Fair Lawn NJ but they charge $175 a hour if I'm not mistaken. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative I would also recommend King's Automotive as mentioned prior or SuperiorAutomotive located in Paterson NJ.

[chris82]

Originally Posted by vick403

Agreed that most shops in NYC and NJ charge absurd prices.
From experience I have found that MPowerhouse in the Bronx are very good with BMWs and likely will be able to handle any issues you throw at them. Another good one would be AutoCouture in Fair Lawn NJ but they charge $175 a hour if I'm not mistaken. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative I would also recommend King's Automotive as mentioned prior or SuperiorAutomotive located in Paterson NJ.

Had a negative experience at AutoCouture. They were nice to deal with and installed my parts at a reasonable cost, but one of the front shocks they installed wasn't aligned correctly in the spindle (about a quarter turn off) which made my car sit uneven and my alignment was also WAY out of spec as a result. I don't know how this install passed their quality control with an alignment so off. It was installed summer 2020 during Covid lockdown so maybe they had some trouble with staffing? I'm not sure. Anyways, this shop is too out of the way for me to go back to them, so it took another shop $500 to figure out the problem and uninstall/reinstall the shock properly and also weld a pin that broke off of the Konis. AutoCouture was very receptive of this and said they'd help me out if I ever needed something else done down the line, but I'm on the fence about going back. My work is too busy to be dropping a car off more than ONE time for a problem to be fixed. I will say, the owner who I dealt with there (I forget his name) was very nice and for that reason alone I might give them another chance if something comes up.

Also, I would stay away from a place called The Stance Shop (just in case someone were to recommend that place) AT ALL COSTS. The guys working there seem competent, but it's the most bizarre auto shop I've ever been to. There is NO appointment scheduling and whoever shows up first gets their car worked on so you could end up waiting hours for even the simplest repairs. There's also NO waiting room, NO front office, NO front door, nothing. It's literally a garage with 2 lifts. I regretted going there to get my fenders rolled within an hour. Clientele is also shady AF.

[carscatscoffee15]

Motorcepts in Jamaica. I've been going there since they had their smaller shop/when I had my E60.. almost 10 years of business from me. They've done maintenance as well as modifications (moreso on my E82). Can only go off personal experiences which have been good.

I go elsewhere for body work as the owner of the shop is a family friend and theyve been responsible for all the paint/body work done my current car. I believe going to one person for paint work is best as they already are familiar with your vehicle.

[Skipdy4]

My go to shop in NJ. Incredible team of professionals who take care of your car as if it was their own!

eMpower Automotive
587 County Road 519, Belvidere, NJ 07823
(908) 946-5683
empowerautomotive.com

(VRSF catted downpipe, BMW M Performance Exhaust, GFB DV+ diverter valve, Wagner Intercooler, BMS intake, Afe airbox cover-modified, Aluminum Charge Pipe, ISC Coil overs, Zimmerman drilled and slotted rotors,)