You're right, Herb. For a while last year, it was under different management. If we are thinking about the same thing, it was one of the other mechanics working there.
Rett, I am sorry to hear about your experience with Mr. Lockhart. I realize that personality conflicts and/or misunderstandings can happen, and not having been there, I wouldn't try to say who's right or wrong in this case, especially without hearing both sides of the story. I can only speak from my experience.
I have gone to him several times, usually after trying the repair myself and only mucking it up worse! Off the top of my head, there was the engine swap in the Campmobile, rear brakes frozen, electrical issues, "Please just make it stop leaking!", align the Ghia, and a couple of others that skip my mind. I have had one time when I had to take a VW back (I don't remember which one or for what) , but I do remember they took care of it with no problems. I have also found him to be friendly and professional in his treatment of customers.
There is that one notoriously grumpy mechanic, but he and I have never had words. Overall, he has my trust on a professional as well as personal level, and I don't hesitate to recommend him.
Mistakes can happen, and it sounds like they did. Swapping engines is a big job, and even pros are human, and make mistakes. It's a shame because they've been in business for many years and have made many customers happy, including me.
A word of advice to anyone having ANY work done on ANY car by ANYone: Check it over THROUGHLY before you leave the lot! Had my tires on the Neon rotated and balanced the other day. Simple, right? They put one of the stem caps back on in such a way that one tire was flat as a pancake!
