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Good place to get an alignment?

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    Posted: October/26/10 at 6:29pm
Hi - can anyone recommend a good place in Bothell/Woodinville area for a wheel alignment? I can't tell the difference between the great shops, which know how to work on MINIs, and the crappy shops. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CINIMIN Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/26/10 at 7:25pm
Not on the east side - but Seattle MINI has very high tech laser alignment equipment setup specifically for MINIs - we got to see it operate at one of their tech sessions.
Jack -

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote onramp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/26/10 at 8:22pm
Colin Cantrell (and Brandon) at Cantrell Motorsport in Totem Lake has aligned and corner balanced my various cars for years.  I worked with Colin at Speedware Motorsports, and know the high level of knowledge he has, but more so, can attest to the very high care he provides to every customer.  Ask Boomer.  I can tell you that Colin and Brandon are the only two mechanics I know (there are certainly more, but I don't know them) that I would allow to work on my brakes and not go check their work afterword.  I KNOW they do great work. 

I bet my life on it 8 or 9 times a year. 

Tell them I sent you.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Escape Pod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/26/10 at 8:56pm
+1 for Seattle MINI - they have a 20% off any service or repair special that beats our club discount at the moment.  (I got a coupon in the mail which is making my windshield replacement a LOT less painful!)
 
Also in the Totem Lake area, Omni Brake & Alignment - great shop.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Slyderone Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/26/10 at 9:08pm

I had Cantrell Motorsport in Totem Lake do my strut towers, control arm bushings, and a 4 way alignment on my mini and it drives better than ever.  They are friendly and have a nice shop.  I would go back to have work done there again.   

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CINIMIN Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/26/10 at 9:20pm
Omni is used by Zahntech when they do suspension work - they did alignments on CINIMIN and WOODSTOCK after the FSDs were installed.  Good shop. 
Jack -

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CORNERS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/27/10 at 12:17am
Thanks for all the great ideas. I'll probably go to Omni. I just installed fixed camber plates. 
Cantrell Motorsport sounds tempting but my MINI will be intimidated by all the REAL performance vehicles there. :-) 

I might try that them if/when I get coilovers or FSDs/new springs. That's a discussion for next time. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Wildfamily Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/27/10 at 7:28am
Kurt...go with Cantrell...he has aligned and worked on lots of our MINIs. He's close by and I think he charges only $95 for the alignment.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kenru Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/27/10 at 8:42am
Without question Cantrell Motorsport.  I've had alignments done elsewhere (Speedware) and actually taken it to Cantrell to fix it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CORNERS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/27/10 at 8:44am
Ok you guys convinced me! 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CORNERS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/27/10 at 3:46pm
Well, Cantrell doesn't seem to be picking up the phone, so I scheduled an alignment with Omni. Thanks for everyone's advice.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote onramp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/27/10 at 7:55pm
I called Colin on my secret contact number and passed on Kurt's comment.  First, Kurt did leave a message (which you should ALWAYS do with Colin, as he WILL ALWAYS call back).  Second, the reason Colin isn't answering the phone right away is because he is so busy.  He's busy because he is very good and in high demand, which leads to #3.  If you want the best, you might plan for a week or two wait, because lots of SOVREN, SCCA, IRDC, and DE junkies are getting their cars worked on at his shop.  Last - Colin charges PSMini members $95 for an alignment.  Martin or Greg must have worked out this deal for us.

The main reason I go to Colin's shop is that I know they check and double check their work.  I have NEVER had an experience there like I have had at the dealership.  If you do have a problem, they ALWAYS take your concerns seriously.  Not like the dealer.

I recently had the dealer replace a leaky upper motor mount.  When I got the car back, the car had a funny shake like when a big truck drives across a bridge you are sitting on.  I called the dealer, who said that I am probably not used to what the car feels like with a functioning mount.  I could bring it in and talk to someone, but probably not necessary.  When the funny shake developed into a bigger shake with accompanying rattle, I did go into the dealership.  I was told the only thing my car needed was a dose of their super Techroline, because the car was a little lumpy at idle due to some carbon buildup on the valves.  Fine.  I put the car up in the air at home, and found that the lower motor mount was COMPLETELY LOOSE!  One 360 degree turn and the bolt on the big end dropped out.  The little end bolt was unthreaded over half an inch.  This is the same outfit that squirted brake fluid all over my engine compartment when changing my front brakes because they assumed that I never added fluid as the pads wore down.  So when they compressed the pistons back into the caliper - you guessed it.  Did they even bother to figure out why the car had a freaking puddle of brake fluid under the car?  No!  Rather they let me drive off!!

You will not get that kind of service at a shop that understands the kind of driving that you do.

If you drive your car hard, take your car to someone who understands your game.  'Nuff said. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote onramp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/27/10 at 8:06pm
I've also been to Omni Alignment.  Three times.  This was when my Porsche speedshop (Squire's Autowerke) was having a pissing match with Speedware, where Colin was working at the time.  Two were return trips because they couldn't make the steering wheel level when the car was driving straight.  Haven't been back.

Colin fixed it then.  No charge.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CORNERS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/27/10 at 8:24pm
Thanks for the valuable advice and for giving a call. 
Cantrell (Colin?) did call me back to inform me no spots available this week. I guess I should have planned better.

I will be going to IRDC Bremerton this weekend and don't want to burn through my tires. 

For 1.25 degrees of negative camber, which is what the IE fixed camber plates advertise, will that so adversely affect my toe-in that I should have the car aligned before next week? Or is the toe-in change sufficiently small that it can wait until next week, even with a track event in between? 

The car seems to be driving fine, steering wheel is straight, etc. but I'm sure it has too much toe-in. 
So I was planning to take it in to Omni for alignment tomorrow (they are busy too, but said they could work on it if I drop it off and pick up later in the day). 


And amazing, depressing dealership stories. That's why I do most of my own work... I'm not a pro but I know I'm better than most of the idiots out there, partly because I have a long term interest in the result and can spend more time than they can to get things done right. But I reluctantly turn to professional services for alignments, tire mounting, etc.; stuff that I can't do with my garage tools. 



Edited by khammo01 - October/27/10 at 8:27pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote onramp Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/27/10 at 8:52pm
Hey, Kurt - sorry to sound so grumpy above, but I've learned thru lots of mistakes.  I'm not saying Omni will do a bad job (my experience was several years ago), and I'm thinking you will feel better about going to the IRDC school with a new alignment.  But go see Colin for the PCA inspection and an alignment before your first DE next year.  If you ever get to watch them "nut and bolt" a car before a race, you will understand why I trust these guys.  Someday, Brandon will come to you and say he needs to replace a bolt because it won't hold spec torque (fatigued bolt).  They don't take shortcuts, and won't let you take them either. 

I dodged a big bullet in a Ferrari crash about 10 years ago.  Multiple wall hits with the 1st one at 140ish, because something broke on the car in a corner.  We broke two of the concrete barriers, and the track moved 22 adjoining barriers to make room to replace the damaged ones.  The car burned to the ground.  Both the driver and I were burned, and the driver suffered multiple bone breaks (he had the steering wheel to deal with, and lost).  And we go out time after time wearing blue jeans and a t-shirt.  I want  Colin and Brandon to be the guys who torqued the bolts in my suspension.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote CORNERS Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/27/10 at 10:06pm
Wow. I'll definitely go to Cantrell in the future. (I was thinking that but seems that I forgot to type it in my earlier post.) 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote johnf36 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: October/28/10 at 1:04am
Kurt , FYI Pat is a great instructor to learn from Wink
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