5 /5 Joseph Sarkis: My trusty Basset Hound Alice and I travel our beautiful USA each summer in my restored VW WESTFALIA; have been for 30 years. Of course piloting such an old car can be somewhat problematic at times.
Case in point: I live in the state of Washington and decided I wanted to visit Key West, a place that was always on my bucket list but a place I never got to. 2024 was my year for such a trip.
Triple digit temperatures, torrential downpours, flooding, crazy humidity, and 8,000 miles later didnt phase the little VW. However, neglected and overlooked wheel bearings did.
Enter Belleair Auto Care in Belleair Bluffs Florida. An auto repair shop that on any given day youll find, classic cars, imports, exotics, and everyday drivers lining their lot.
When I called and spoke with Don the shop manager, he assured me he would check into parts availability and get back to me in 10 minutes. After all, finding anything for a 1988 VW WESTFALIA is a tricky proposition. To my surprise he phoned me back with not only good news about the parts but told me to get it in first thing in the morning and theyd begin doing the repairs. Even had a preliminary repair estimate for me. All within the 10 minutes he promised. Amazing!!!
Within 2 days Frank, one of the shops excellent technicians, completed the repairs. He also found a damaged and leaking brake line and fabricated parts to repair it that were no longer available.
But wait, theres more. 4 days into my trip back to Washington, and just coming out of the Ozark Moutains in Arkansas, Tom, the shop owner, reached out to me to check in on their repairs. Who does that now days?
So wake up VW BUS owners, import owners, classic car owners, and everyday drivers. Customer Service is alive and well at Belleair Auto Care.
Got a squeak, rattle, or growling wheel bearing noises like I had? Give Robbie, Belleairs Customer Service representative a call. Im confident youll be more than satisfied with their work. Alice and I want to thank all of you for making our ride back home to Washington a safe one.
Joe Sarkis
Port Orchard, Washington