Hi, folks!
Matt and I have been getting PMs, e-mails and phone calls about our availability to do work for folks. The truth of the matter is, we don't have the time right now. We still aren't completely moved in to our new place, and we've had the lease for almost 3 months! Matt is gone 12 hours every day to his new job in downtown SF...this includes an hour and a half commute each way.
We appreciate all the work that everyone has given Matt in the past 3.5 years. But since I moved out here, the work (according to Matt) has been at a breakneck pace, and we were both looking for a bit of a change. We're trying to see this time at the dealership as a learning experience. Where else can one get paid while learning about all the new technology that VW is now cramming into their cars!? :-D
With all this being said, we aren't opposed to work on the side, but we are asking...PLEASE be patient. For the next six months at the minimum we have to say "no, sorry" to any new work. We have projects at our previous place of residence that we've put off for (in some cases) over a year. These are projects for his family members that we need to do. They let us live with them rent free...if that isn't worth some free car repairs, I don't know what is.
Will we start doing independent repairs again? Yes. Do we know exactly when? No, and I'm sorry. When we do start doing work again, we will give preference to those jobs that a dealership won't touch, such as automatic to manual transmission swaps and suspension upgrades that aren't OEM. We will still attend and do work at the bi-annual San Pablo GTGs in the East Bay.
I want to apologize to all the people that have been turned away for work. Please don't take it personally. This is a change in lifestyle that we both chose, and we aren't turning away the work because we don't want to do it. Matt and I both have "helpers hearts" and it kills us when someone calls us in a desperate way. This community has been amazing to us, and we hope you feel the same way. Don't worry, there will eventually be an independent shop with our name on it. When that time comes, we can only hope that customers who have seen us before will come back or recommend people to come to us.
Until then, thank you for your patience, grace, and continued support!
<3, Dee and Matt
If you have any questions, or want to talk directly to Matt, I'm going to politely ask that you go through me. Matt is working far too many hours to try to reply to all the correspondence we're still getting. Please help us out. PM me here or e-mail me directly at
diedre.mears@gmail.com