Garage recommendation in SE

75er

Club Member
Interested in hearing what garages in and around London and the SE club members would recommend for those times you don’t have the equipment or inclination to fix up your S30. Fourways and MJP are the ones I’ve heard about, would be interested in hearing feedback at experiences there & any other recommendations folk might have.
 

toopy

Club Member
Fourways are very experienced with Z's, but that obviously comes at a cost, MJP is parts only not a garage.

Are you wanting more involved work or is it just general maintenance and servicing?

Where in SE are you?
 

75er

Club Member
Fourways are very experienced with Z's, but that obviously comes at a cost, MJP is parts only not a garage.

Are you wanting more involved work or is it just general maintenance and servicing?

Where in SE are you?

I’m in NW London. Been experiencing a few issues in various areas (engine, brakes, lights) while I’ve managed to keep the car running by tinkering here and there I’m thinking it’s time an expert gave it a good look over.
 

status

Well-Known Forum User
Mjp is not a garage mike sell parts, four ways will pull yer pants down.There is no such thing as a Zed specialist as they are no different to work on than a mk11 ford cortina you just have a bit more room under the bonnet find yerself a mechanic who is about fifty years old or older and you should be ok,Failing that my mate has a garage in Hainault not far from you and he is old school mechanic and has the equipment for modern day cars he has an old Mg in there at the mo waiting for parts he is working on and Alex who done his apprenticeship there has worked on old bangers modern day cars and he knows how to set a set of points but not the timing using a blank radio station or light bulb which modern day mechanics don’t know about usually,if yer get stuck is a shout and I’ll out you in touch I was down there this morning putting a short shift on my Scooby
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
four ways will pull yer pants down.

That's not my personal experience, even if it is your fantasy.

Fourways Engineering have a lot of experience working on S30-series Zs, and have a lot of spare parts stock to call on should they be needed. Last time I was there I counted no less than eleven S30-series Zs on the premises, so it seems that a good few other S30-series Z owning customers take their cars there too.
 

status

Well-Known Forum User
If you don’t mind paying lots more for the work done when you can get it done cheaper elsewhere even though their work is top notch and those that take their cars there probably don’t work on their own cars and some know nothing better,as I sed you don’t have to be a specialist to work on a Zed or any other seventies car,any old school mechanic won’t have a problem working on one.
 

Albrecht

Well-Known Forum User
...and those that take their cars there probably don’t work on their own cars and some know nothing better...

OK, here's a straight question - no spin - requiring a straight answer: What your PERSONAL experience of Fourways Engineering? Have you ever had them work on any of your cars?

Straight yes or no answer will suffice.
 

status

Well-Known Forum User
Long time ago and I’m not knocking there work as if you read wot I sed their work is top notch so pay attention and read properly wot I sed ,that’s all to be said really apart from I’ve experienced both and can’t knock fourways apart from prices compared to the little back street garage that works on anything that comes in and does an equally good job
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
Hi Alan

Ive known them for 30 years and the feedback ive heard as a committee member and since as a club member has been mixed to say the best. I was also once accused of favouritism towards them and thier best client so no axe to grind. Since John 'disappeared' and Geoff left us, who is left with all the long, applicable experience- Paul ?

Status said it, these are not complicated cars to work upon, one doesn't need a specialist.
 

STEVE BURNS

Club Member
The trouble with feed back is how long is it relevant
Does it relate back to when John Rich and Geoff where together
Does it relate to back when John left and Geoff was running it on his own
Does it relate to the people who are running now since Geoffs passing

Personally I have only heard good things about Fourways for quite a long time almost since the turn of the century Read into that what you will

The thing that I heard over the years was that they seemed expensive compared to other Z specialists
But IMHO what was never taken into account by the people who used to say this was they where not the same as a lot of the other Z specialists as it was a business employing people and there have not been a lot of Z related businesses who have survived as long as them without having to close down due to one reason or another
 

SeanDezart

Well-Known Forum User
But they were and are hardly just there for Z clients.

I recently saw Pauls' red 260Z 2+2 (with a white interior) - still looks very good and when was that finished ?
 

75er

Club Member
Yes, they’re not complicated cars & once the source of a problem’s been identified and given the right parts any competent mechanic should be able fix them.

But I’d hope someone who’s had a lot of S30s come through their shop would be faster at identifying the source of a problem (because they know where everything is & what tends to go wrong most often on a L series without having to page-turn through the FSM) & know where to source hard-to-find parts (& what non-OEM parts to choose when OEMs aren’t available).
 

Woody928

Events Officer
Staff member
Club Member
I suggest you go and see some of these places for yourself, meet the people are make your own judgement....

Everywhere will have dealt with customers where there were disagreements and you'll never get a straight answer out of anyone as they'll only tell the story their way.

I've had a great experience withe Fourways in the past and the team there really looked after me, its always and pleasure to see James ands Nathalie and they're always very welcoming. James has a great knowledge of these cars and has clearly learnt a lot about them over the years, as has already been mentioned they always have lots of Datsuns in.

On the topics of cost, it's not that they're too expensive, it's that I can't afford to go to them regularly.... Just because you can't afford something doesn't make it to expensive ;)

All the best with your search.
 

status

Well-Known Forum User
So chaps you are pretty much in agreement with wot I said then it’s just down to price as we know their work is good
 

toopy

Club Member
At Donington, James mentioned in conversation to a group of us, the 4ways labour costs, if i remember correctly it was currently £50 +vat per hour for bodywork and £75 +vat for mechanical, electrical etc. So probably comparable to other similar marquee 'specialist' garages in the London/southern area.
 

status

Well-Known Forum User
75 quid plus the dreaded works out more than yer average decent back street garage that can work on any car but it’s still not main dealer prices so in between really so the choice is there
 
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