Tom Amon Mobile Works West: veteran mechanic at your doorstep

bob tilton · bob tilton's Garage

just wanted to give positive feedback on my experience with tom amon of mobile works west.
the facts: tom is a 30 year veteran of the porsche repair trade. he charges $50 an hour and shows up at your doorstep or workplace with his "shop" packed into his SUV. he was the "T" of T&D in campbell. he has access to machine shop to carry out other services.
my opinion: tom is a very nice and trustworthy guy. yes you can leave him at your house while he works in your garage. he is extremely meticulious, knows his craft inside and out, enthusiastic, and just a great all around person to have work on your car.
he rebuilt the 2.7 longblock i recently purchased and was brought on to do everything involved to get it running in my car. needless to say it was a big job. just feed him coffee with cream and sugar and watch the man work.
tom amon, mobile works west, 408 429 0545.

Zeke · 02-21-2005, 06:13 PM

I think the mobile mechanic thing is great as long as you can do it at your house and not piss off the neighbors. In our lovely ghetto of a city, there are several laws about working on cars. Basically, if they catch you doing anything outside of your garage, you can be cited. That includes the back yard, much more the front or street.

Does he carry certification? (I know [he doesn't need to according to his reputation, but just how is he governed is something doesn't work out?)

I would go out and do bodywork at someone's house a lot more readily than I would allow it to come here. I've already pissed off my neighbors.

930addict · 930addict's Garage

I think it's awesome especially for someone like me. I love my car (Porsche's in general) and want to do "stuff" to it but I'm afraid to work on it myself due to inexperience. It'd be great to be able to watch and learn and even work along side.

gerard vaglio · 02-21-2005, 07:57 PM

ditto, I would love to work along side him or just learn by watching him do something I've never done before.

$50 per hour in the bay area as opposed to $90 with the opportunity to learn something new sounds like a great deal to me.

So, what brand of coffee should I pick up?

biosurfer1 · 02-21-2005, 08:10 PM

just to add a quick plug to this thread.... the other half of the Mobile Works team is Jimmy Deering of Mobile Works East (duh!) He works Sacramento and the surrounding area. He worked with Tom at T&D for years and is excellent on Porsches, mine included. His email is porscheworks@aol.com, very reasonable rates too!

MotoSook · 02-21-2005, 08:16 PM

That's great! I always told myself that if I ever lost my job, I would pack a trailer full of tools and go mobile wrenching!

Glad to hear there is a good team doing it for our beloved 911's!

look 171 · 02-21-2005, 08:25 PM

Milt,

How do you do your construction work. Stay inside? Does it only apply to working on cars. It is getting worst in smaller cities in the S. Gabriel Valley where I grew up. You can't have cars on jack stands on the drive way. No overhead shade / canopy of any type in the hot summer. Even if you are justing painting a cabinet door outside. WTF is this world coming to. Have you had any problems with working outside on any of your jobs. Neighbours always have something to B!tch about because they are not getting work done to their house, but getting cited, that's something else. I have them claim that the dust is destroying their plant and discolored their house and want a new paint job. I'll save the story for the weekend drive. Hope to see you there with your new car.

Jeff

bob tilton · bob tilton's Garage

i live in a neighborhood with HOA and the main "dude" lives across the street from me. we fired up the engine at about 10PM and ran it long enough for him to time it and adjust the carbs. so far no complaints or notifications from the neighbors or HOA.

i suppose a man in his position lives by his reputation. i cked him out enough that i moved forward with the transaction. i guess it's much like ebay feedback and tom is rated at 100%. you just got to be a smart buyer i guess.

there are shops now charging $110/hr here in the east bay.

tom likes starbucks but his manners are such that he will drink what you give him and thank you for it. i fed him some costa rican coffee from a recent vacation.

tom doesn't mind people looking over his shoulder. it's one thing to do a job yourself from reading books and it's another thing to watch an expert work and do things not discussed in books.

Wil Ferch · 02-22-2005, 04:57 AM

Two things ( maybe three):

- Wish we had such service options in the East...does he make house calls to Buffalo, NY ??

- $50/hr. How does one make a living at such a rate doing speicialized work like this... in spendy West coast ??

- guys like that are a "find", but sooner or later..the "best" guys are driven out of business because of American penchant for "price first". Have seen this in the local body shop business,....without fail, unfortunately.

PS- let's not forget Wayne.... out of the same mold and looks like he can benefit from some more sales !

Wil

scottb · 02-22-2005, 06:57 AM

Do these mobile wrenches carry insurance to cover damage to the car and your house in the event they make a catastrophic mistake (e.g., do something that causes a huge fire)?

MotoSook · 02-22-2005, 07:07 AM

$50/hr is doable w/o shop costs and such. Although I would agree that it is too low. Does he charge travel time and mileage?

svandamme · svandamme's Garage

if you don't have to pay rent, or electricity and other stuff related to a shop in a building.... then you don't have much overhead... ( and i assume that most shops have a truck anyway , so that's no extra cost either when comparing )

friend of mine and me used to do computer repairs like that , made bundle of money(most of it not filed to taxman either )...then the other guy started a shop , and presto the bottom line got eaten away with overhead

jtkkz · 02-22-2005, 08:16 AM

Bob
That is great that he lives near you. We are the same in that sense.

My best freind who has been working on all my cars and porsches as well for over 20 years does the same thing. He comes over or I bring my cars to his house and he has a lifter in his backyard.

My brother uses him as well and now Gary will be going to him as well.

It is a piece of mind knowing you can watch someone work on your car right in front of you.

Moses · 02-22-2005, 08:38 AM

Where does he live? Is he close to Walnut Creek/Danville?

ruf-porsche · ruf-porsche's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Souk
That's great! I always told myself that if I ever lost my job, I would pack a trailer full of tools and go mobile wrenching!

Glad to hear there is a good team doing it for our beloved 911's!

Hey Souk

If you ever go into the mobile repair business let me know. Always looking for a decent wrench to work on the nine eleven.

Can't get the VWDOC that work on my wife Audi to touch the Porsche.

MotoSook · 02-22-2005, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ruf-porsche
Hey Souk

If you ever go into the mobile repair business let me know. Always looking for a decent wrench to work on the nine eleven.

Can't get the VWDOC that work on my wife Audi to touch the Porsche.

Depending on the case, I'm can be mobile... I can even get my lift loaded on the trailers! The problem is time. I'm either working on stuff for a client, or I have to tend to other business. It's just depends on who wants my time more

Jason Cullen · 02-22-2005, 09:49 AM

Bob,

Glad you are very happy with Tom's performance! Looks like a "WOW" job!

To answer a few questions about Tom.

Tom has over 30 years experience in Porsche 911's and has won several 1st place engine-building awards.

He is a registered Porsche technician with Porsche North American, has his Bar # and business license.

Very professional approach to on site service with minimal service noise.

I have been working hand in hand with Tom for a few months now and recommend him highly. I also market the “Mobile Werks West” brand for the bay area.

We use all OEM parts, armed with every tool needed to perform any task and very economical to your wallet.

Please feel free to call me if you have any questions.

408-210-0113

Thank you,
Jason

Grady Clay · 02-22-2005, 11:06 AM

Jason,

I agree, if properly done there is a market for good home auto (911) repair. We utilize all sorts of home services from housekeeping to plumbers. I choose the ones that are knowledgeable, efficient and in a good supervisory system.

OK, let me argue the other side just for argument sake.

I addressed some of the issues here but there are many more.

I think the critical one is insurance. If your house burns to the ground is there wiggle room for your insurance company to deny the claim? I’m assuming the Mobile Mechanic (MM) has minimal or no insurance. What about a test drive and accident - a neighbor kid injured? What if the MM is injured – is there Workman’s Compensation insurance?

A proper business has proper insurance. Yes it is expensive but worthwhile and necessary in today’s litigious climate.

Another important issue is efficiency. Do you want a skilled Porsche mechanic shagging parts or applying his particular skill? I can’t imagine an even simple project where the owner or MM has everything needed to complete the job satisfactorily. That can just be a rounded off bolt or a part that wasn’t expected to be defective. Is the MM expected to tow a trailer of parts inventory?

A well organized Dealer or professional shop has “division of labor” where the goal is to support the technicians working on the cars.

Tools are a big issue. Tools are expensive and a Dealer or professional shop can justify that expense by several mechanics have access and use of them. I’m talking about “shop tools;” Factory P-tools, diagnostic equipment, exhaust emissions testing, and even something as simple as a drill press and extraction tools but there is more.

A professional shop has all this and is buying, making, or having made more everyday. The right tool gets the job done right.

Cleaning is a critical part of any repair or service. Does the MM bring a parts cleaner and more?

A shop has everything from pressure washers to hot soak tanks and more.

Recycling and proper disposal is important. What happens to the used fluids and parts?

A business (or MM) can’t afford a citation from the EPA.

Do you want some working from memory (yes there are some who can)? Would you prefer someone having the actual torque specs?

Technical info is very important. Every technician should have the complete collection of Spec Books. There is no substitute for access to Workshop Manuals, Parts Manuals, and all the other technical information. With several skilled technicians in the right environment there is a lot of shared information

I can tell you the value of putting very skilled technicians in a proper, well supplied environment. The work is the best possible. Yes, the customer was able to look over the shoulder of many projects on their car (in spite of all the signs and black/yellow stripes.)

I was in a 2-3 mechanic shop last year and at 10 AM all were standing around waiting for parts delivery. A proper system is to have the parts dept. pull all the normal parts for a job and have them waiting for the tech.

I’m willing to pay the $110/hr for the skills, system and efficiency not sloth and incompetent systems (not referring to the current thread.) The key is proper organization. Porsche service and repair (Dealer or independent) can be done properly where everyone is satisfied.

Best,
Grady

Zeke · 02:33 PM

Well said, er, written, Grady. I think there is a place and time for both.

AFA the question about construction work in neighborhoods, that is expected. Not on Sunday and not after 10PM in most cases. Places like Beverly Hills and Palos Verdes Estates are more restrictive.

I carry a State Contractor's License and a city business license. For construction (home improvement), I can't be touched. I'm perfectly legal as long as I have a job permit. I don't think I would have the same leverage as a mobile mechanic. It's a small field, so one doesn't see it that often.

EDIT: What I said there about leverage doesn't make sense to me when I read it back. I think I meant it the other way around. I won't delete it, but it's not what I was thinking. Down the page, ol' Tom looks happy doing what he's doing. We should all be so happy.

biosurfer1 · 02-22-2005, 11:21 AM

i can answer some of the questions from grady...(at least from Jimmy's side)

yes, he has all the tech books, manuals, etc. needed for the job. some of the info he knew already, but also looked to these for technical info (air/fuel, timing, whatnot)

I was responsible for getting the parts together, he sent me a list of the parts needed and links to websites that had good prices for a place to start looking. there were a few parts that were found to be needed during the repair that we didnt know about, but were readily available at the shop here in town, although i could see this as a problem with smaller cities without foreign parts stores. the trouble of having to drive down the road to a shop was way more than worth it in the money saved from going to a shop.

jimmy had all the fluids/cleaners/ needed, and took the old ones to the proper recycler's afterwards.

there were a few "what if's" i worried about, but since i wasnt having anything done that required fire or toxin's, i figured i would deal with any problems if they arose, if i spent all my time worrying about what bad things could happen to me, i doubt i'd get out of bed..

nothing went wrong which is why i probably have a such a good outlook on the idea, and am having more work done this week. plus its great having a guy on speed dial that i can call in a panic when my cars doesnt run right, who will tell me whats going on and for me to stop freaking out (i.e. last night!)