Topic: Help/contact info from Toronto, please

[jimmery]

After a very patient wait (over 6 months), I think I've found a used car with the engine/options that I want.  Trouble is, it's in Toronto, and I'm in Winnipeg.

I just had a good conversation with the seller, and the car seems to be in good condition...  At this point, it would be best to have a good, independent mechanic check the car out.  (That way I won't have any surprises before travelling to Toronto to pick it up.)  If anyone knows of a good place to have a used car checked out in the Downsview/Weston/York area, please post!  Any help would be great here...

[Roadrunner]

You're buying the car sight unseen? Not a good move in my book. Let's say you (phone) and have a mech check the chosen car out and finds it sound, tells you so, you come to Toronto and look at the car, try it out and find it's not to your liking after all or not in as good shape as you were told? You've made a trip for nothing. At best you're hoping for a truthful answer to the inspection. Honesty prevails? Hopefully.

[barrie1]

Come on guys Somebody help this fellow Poster out and send him to the right Garage Mechanic to assist him with his possible purchase. Its a long ways to go to purchase a vehicle so he is and will be out of his area.

[55inthe54]

A link from the Insurance Bureau of Canada:

http://www.ibc.ca/regions_ont_inspections.asp

Just a random pick to get you started:

Vumbaca Bros. Ltd.  
York Autobody  
3583 Dundas St. W.  
Toronto, ON  
M6S 2S8  
(416) 766 0230

[55inthe54]

Another link from CAA:

http://www.central.on.caa.ca/automotive/vishowto.htm

[55inthe54]

One more:

I saw a news story on a diagnostic centre at Martin Grove and Highway 7 area in Vaughan. Place looks good.

Anybody knows the name/contact info?

[S60]

Donnington Park Motors in Richmond Hill
905-508-8300
Very honest shop,good people to work with.

[thesober]

You can try www.safecar.ca
It's recommended by APA (www.apa.ca)
I would have brought my car to there if I purchased a used car, I bought new instead.

[Roadrunner]

That was my point exactly Barrie. It's a high risk maneuver. I guess I'm not as trusting as you guys.

[barrie1]

Yes Roadr you are right about being worried as it is not the way I would buy a car either but everybody has their reasons of course. I think it is just great to see the other Posters help this person out with their Knowledge of good garages in that area. I'm sure any one of these recommended will take care of his needs properly.

[jimmery]

Thanks very much for everyone's comments.  The contacts are good!

[mark]

Jimmery, what kind of car is it?  You may find good recommendations on a model specific enthusiast website - there's one for just about every make & model.
Some are even more specific - down to an enthusiast site for a specific engine (Barrie hmmm....)  http://www.mortec.com/

Hope you find the info you need.

[barrie1]

I use the Mortec site a fair amount with buying and selling different Chevie engines and parts. It is very useful on the type of heads used in racing as they are not all the same at all. Many of the heads use the larger valves like the 202 and 160 combinations but the best heads are the ones that end in 292 or 492 on the serial No's. This is for the older style heads that are cast not aluminum. Same with the block series, some are better then others for buidlng up and will last a lot longer. I do a lot of part shows all winter and am able to build really good race engines a lot cheaper this way.

[jimmery]

Mark--it's the 1998-1999 Mercury Mystique with V6, 5 speed, and ABS.  Hard to come by, but more of them are around in Southern Ontario.  I had found one to pursue, but am not ready to go through with the deal as of yet, especially since I haven't been able to have a trustworthy garage/mechanic look at it.  I would really prefer to buy locally, and for this reason I am not rushing into the deal.  It's possible to put off the purchase for a while longer, so maybe something will pop up closer to home. Another benefit from not buying in Southern Ontario is that the body might be in better condition, since they use road salt down there in the winter...