A need to read, your wallet will thank me! Day one. The thermostat housing was leaking badly. I purchased a new housing and three jugs of coolant. Drove to the closest auto repair shop. S & A Automotive LLC, 86129 US HWY 278, Altoona, AL 35952, (Altoona address but located in Snead). They agree to fix it, but I don't recall the price. After installing the new housing, the technician attaches a device to the radiator. I told him I had never seen that before. He explains it is to check for leaks, refill the coolant system, and remove bubbles. He said it applies a vacuum that will be used to replace the coolant, and he does so. I walk to the boss's desk, pay for the job, hand the boss a ten-dollar tip, then hand the mechanic a ten-dollar tip as he tells me the radiator is blown (at the top driver's side). The boss tells me the radiator costs over $400.00, but he can get it for around $140.00 (the same price I can get it for, but I do not tell him that). I agree to him fixing it the next morning, and I spend the night at a motel, hating myself for not noticing the apparent damage to the radiator. In the middle of the night, it occurs to me that the vacuuming he did could have done the damage, and if he did it once, he may do it again. Day two, last day. I quickly eat some food, rush to the auto repair shop in time to see the old radiator being removed, then the new radiator installed. Yes, then out comes the vacuum tool. I tell him we can do without that today. He tells me no, I need to check for leaks. This time, I am not casually looking on; I am riveted to the vacuum pressure gauge. When the needle gets to the end of the green zone, I tell him Good, let's check it now. He tells me that's not enough as the needle goes into the yellow zone. At the end of the yellow zone, I say OK now, " but he pays me no attention. When the needle hits the red zone (I highly think it is a scam), I lean toward him and loudly say, "You are scaring the crap out of me!" He finally stops it just inside the red zone. He goes over to his boss, who is now doing an oil change for a friend (the man had earlier told me he was a first customer and a good friend of the shop owner), and they talk for a moment, then he comes back to add coolant to the radiator. I ask if he wants me to start the car, and he tells me it is not necessary. (I know you must start the vehicle, pour in fluid until it gets hot enough to open the thermostat, fill the radiator, then slap on the cap) He fills the radiator cold with the thermostat closed, thus leaving a large amount of air in the block. That was when I knew it was factually a scam! He puts all the other parts on the engine and closes the hood. (sorry, not over yet) The boss comes over, telling me he has concerns about this engine and is going to take it for a test drive. After he backs away from the lifting rack, I open the door and tell him I am going too. He makes a right, then another right. He alternates between driving a little fast and then driving slowly. He points out that the temperature gauge is always a little high at slow speeds, then jumps very high when driving faster. I know why, but I do not tell him. I tell him I have seen enough and want to go back to the shop. He tells me he is concerned with the head gasket, then makes a wrong turn, then turns around (now driving fast). I see the shop and say Good, take it to the shop. He makes a right turn, and I say, "Where are we going?" He tells me he is still concerned about the head gasket. I tell him to stop. I tell him I cannot afford to stay in town any longer. I also cannot afford to go back and forth from Alabama and Kentucky. I will nurse it back to Kentucky and get a head gasket where I have shops nearby. He drives back to the shop. I tell him to park in the parking lot, not the shop. He takes the key with him. I follow. He eventually comes up with the price of $393.05. I hand him $400.00. His wife hands me change. I ask for the key. His wife tells me it is in the car. I said no, he took it with him. He finds it under a lot of paperwork on his disk and hands it to me. I ask if I can use a shop towel. He said yes. I get two jugs of coolant from the car, remove the cap, start the vehicle, correctly fill the radiator, and drive to Kentucky. I kept an eye on the temp gauge, Alabama to Tennessee to Kentucky, NO PROBLEM AT ALL! So. . . If you do go to S&A Automotive in Snead, Alabama, I offer two words of advice. 1 Do not let them use the vacuum tool. 2 Take a jar of Vaseline! read more