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Looking for reliable Alfa mechanic in Austin

15K views 25 replies 15 participants last post by  vbatla 
#1 ·
i've got a '79 Alfa Romeo that I need to have looked at.

i know there's a guy out in Spicewood, but was wondering if anyone knew a good Alfa mechanic in the Austin city limits.

problem: fuel pressure light comes on after engine gets hot and car eventually stalls out.

i've troubleshot and troubleshot and can't resolve the issue. need help from a pro.

thanks in advance,

austinringding
 
#2 ·
I'll leave it to others to recommend a shop, but have you changed your fuel filter(s)? Experience has taught me that dirty filters will cause low fuel pressure and running problems. I would do that first, and then turn to a pro if the problem persists.

Good luck.
 
#4 ·
#6 ·
Welcome to the board Joe!!!
 
#8 ·
September coffee & cars

Look forward to seeing everyone Saturday. School & football are back, but so are manageable temperatures. Should be a nice drive with the top down for the first time in a few months.
 
#10 ·
Bump: Just moved to Austin with my babies (wife, kids, and 90 Spyder) and am looking for a mechanic myself. Noticed that the thread is a little old so I thought I'd see if there is any new info. I'd prefer someone in Austin proper if possible. Thanks for any and all input!
 
#11 ·
Almost all the Austin Alfa mechanics got their start, worked for, were associated with Bob Fernald who started with the famous 'ZAP' motors, a countercultural Alfa shop back in the day. This was a good thing because there's a higher level of Alfa fixing competence in Austin than in a lot of much larger cities.

Bob is sort of retired now (which means he doesn't like to get underneath cars anymore) but will sometimes undertake smaller jobs like cylinder heads and Weber rebuilds.

I can recommend Joe Foster, an early ZAP graduate who's been fixing Alfas for more than 30 years. Joe is a successful vintage racer and is factory trained. He's an old friend and a good guy.

Services, BMW Car Club of America (BMW CCA), Jaguar Club of Austin, Elite Import Auto Service, Austin, TX
 
#18 · (Edited)
Bob Fernald is also a great mechanic, but I think he does not take on any new work anymore....unless someone corrects me
[/QUOTE]


Bob will do some small jobs that he likes to do and on cars that he likes, but at age 78 he isn't much interested in getting under cars anymore. He says there's a reason he didn't put a lift in his little shop behind his house . . . :001_smile:
 
#19 ·

Bob will do some small jobs that he likes to do and on cars that he likes, but at age 78 he isn't much interested in getting under cars anymore. He says there's a reason he didn't put a lift in his little shop behind his house . . . :001_smile:[/QUOTE]

I got lucky :)
 
#20 ·
Bob and Charlie dropped by the house a while back to pick up a spare transaxle I was selling, and gave the car a pretty thorough going-over. They gave me enough ideas that I was able to pinpoint the problem (worn out AAV) and have had trouble free running ever since!
 
#23 ·
ddenboer

Welcome to Central Texas. I know most of the active Alfa mechanics locally and most are semi retired or have a home shop or work wrenching in the day and moonlight at night. No one I know of currently has the ability to service AND inspect in the Austin area. My suggestion would be to contact Charlie-see my above post and ask him if he has time or to ask him for a referral to anyone of a couple of guys that work semi independently. Get the car serviced and to the point that it will pass inspection and then take it to a state approved inspection station.

Also-if your car is vintage, Texas has two Vintage license plate classifications available. The most user friendly is Classic car-used for cars driven on a regular basis and Antique-driven for maintenance or to special shows . Classic cars-inspected once and the registration and plates are good for 5 years. See the Texas DMV site for more info. Classics and Antiques need to be 25 years old in order to skirt emissions, get collector car plates, less demanding inspections and have plates be good for 5 years

Classic and Antique cars generally have less exacting requirements-back up lights non-op=OK, removed side running lights for a cleaner look-ok, etc. Generally smog exempt.

The Central Texas Alfa club meets on the first Saturday of the month from 8:30 to 10:30-then lunch if you wish-at Mozarts on the Lake. Mozarts is a coffee place on Lake Austin Blvd

Good luck-Steve
 
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