fellas i always encourage tuners to try to do all the work themselves, if you are not mechanically inclined or dont have the tools, carry it by a mechanic and stay with them while they do the work, watch and learn everything, ask questions, nuttin makes a quack mechanic more uneasy than a extremely car concious owner.
Find out everything, when they said they have changed parts ask to see the old worn parts, when they bought stuff ask for reciepts, when you bring new parts and its installed let them show you where, your best bet is to stay the entire time with your car, and get to know about your car, do research, get a broken motor and scrap it and change old oil pumps and thing
dont encourage workers to behave loosely arround your car or lean on it to eat ah doubles, let them know that you are extremely anal when it come to your car so they know if you where to ever leave it there they wont FCUK with it!!
Also(i always do this) ask past customers about the mechanic before you do major work, when it comes to mechanics, customers cant have a love, hate relationship with them, is either they good, or they is ah quack.
I myself have been burnt by mechanics, i didnt have the tools or time to do the work myself, after wasting money behind them, i have assembled enough tools to do minor work and my Toyota BG book, its like my bible
I do have other mechanics who do other work for me like some suspension and other real greasy jobs, but its under my conditions, they have to come home by me, and they have to be able to take correction. Obviously they are compensated for it, but i dont want to leave my car by any mechanic, no one, and I MEAN NO ONE WOULD CARE FOR YOUR CARE BUT YOU! i've seen it for myself, guy left his red 300zx, it came in clean and shiney, even when the owner dropped it off he leaned on it and before he left he took out his handkerchif and wipped the area he leaned
as soon as he leave, i see fellas changeing dey b13 oil and resting de bottle on he bonnet , oil and thing leaking all over the bonnet
as for recommending mechanics, i CANNOT vouch for these 2 but i have gotten some good review on them
Hakim
Prentice
as for them being ontime with your car, GET PREPARED TO WAIT
most mechanics, when they say 2 weeks, its usually 2 months