For some unknown reason, I keep getting nails in my tires. Why are nails just lying all over the road??? I digress.
Anywho, so as I've mentioned I had a nail in my tire. at first I was going to go to discount tire but after a little bit of research I came upon A-1. They didn't have a website I could visit but after reading all the reviews about how good their prices are and now fast and honest and nice these people were, I gave them a call and asked for a quote on a patch and a new (used) tire. The price they quoted me on for getting another tire installed on the off chance the patch wasn't fixable, with labor included and all was the same price discount or another tire shop would have charged me JUST for a tire alone without labor etc. so right then and there, I understood why people mentioned affordability and great prices. So I decided to cancel my appointment with discount tires and go to A-1 instead.
I got there around 5, in the middle of rush hour. The place right off the side of the I-35 frontage road so be sure to slow down when you're looking for it so you don't peel in last second. It's a very no-frills type of mechanic shop. It's what you think of when someone says the word "mechanic". Not like those other car repair shops with the huge waiting room and snack machines or a large flat screen TV... yeah no, this place was super straight forward. Very small lobby, 4 chairs placed along the wall in front of the front desk, right next to an open door that leads into the garage. So if you're looking for some hoidy-toidy mechanic place, this ain't it.i I honestly didn't care, as long as my car got fixed, the price was right, and the service was friendly.
There was a small wait because they were working on 2 other cars when I got there, and they only have 2 spaces in their mechanic garage. I only waited like 15-20 min and then my car was ready to be worked on. Man those guys were fast, I swear they got that tire on my car in like 15 min or less. Other places I've gone to have taken 30-45 min. But A-1 is on top of their game.
I believe the guy I talked to name was Lo Lo. Really nice guy. The place seems like a husband and wife and friend run deal. One of the guys wife checked me out, she was nice. I asked her if the price I was quoted is still what I was paying and he said yes. She told me it was actually slightly cheaper if I didn't want the warranty, but the warranty was only $5 more so I thought why not?? There is literally always something happening to my freaking tires, soooo it's a good investment.
At the end, for a tire and labor, fees, and warranty, etc... I paid $60 for everything out the door. Had I only needed a patch, that would have been $15. The parking situation is little to none so you just pull in and hope to find a spot along the side, or just pull over to the side until they can see you. They're open later than the other mechanic shops I've been to as well, so that's another plus! All in all, it was a stress free experience, affordable, and fast, and I will return in the future for my tire needs. :) read more