I missed Van Halen in 1984. The Zinda's made sure I didn't miss the reunion Tour in 2007...
On the day after Thanksgiving in 2007, I flew from San Diego to Vancouver to pick up a VW Bus that I had bought sight unseen with the intent of picking it up early AM and heading back down south long before it got dark and cold up in the mountain pass in Oregon. The guy I was buying it from said that he had it tuned up prior to me getting there and guaranteed me that he would tell the repair shop that I was taking it to San Diego and it would be in excellent running condition.
When he picked me up from the airport, I filled up the tank before dropping him off at home. Right after we left the gas station, it started to sputter and smell bad and I was about to drop the guy off on the side of the highway. After finding out he got the work done at Zinda's and Sons, I proceeded to drive over to the shop hoping that they would even be open the day after Thanksgiving.
When I arrived, they were open and surprised to see me driving the vehicle instead of the guy I bought it from. I told them that I had purchased it, that I had planned on driving it to San Diego and had to be back by Sunday night. Both of the guys, who I would learn were actually the Zinda's, looked at me in disbelief and said "San Diego?!? In this thing???"
Turns out, the guy who I bought it from didn't tell them about my plans to drive to San Diego in it. And the guy I bought it from, didn't want to pay to fix about 80% of the things that the Zinda's told him were wrong with it because he was just trying to flip the car for a quick profit.
Anyways, I told them about the smoking and rough idle. They asked me if I knew that the right front brake caliper was sticking and I told them I already could smell brakes burning on the way up there, but didn't know which one it was. They told me that they had a real hard time getting it tuned up properly. They said they never had so much trouble trying to get the air fuel mixture right and suggested that I may have a bad carb. When I told them that the problem started after filling up the tank and the guy who sold it to me found it in a barn, cleaned it up and brought it in for them to work on it, they both said at the same time "Damn, bad gas..."
Turns out the guy who brought it in didn't even put gas in the tank prior to taking it in to Zinda's and they worked a miracle to even get the thing to run with the nearly 5 year old gas that was in the tank.
As soon as they knew about the gas, it took them about 5 minutes to get it idling properly. They also already had a call out to get a new brake caliper in. While they were waiting for it, I had them go thru the things that they knew were wrong with it and determine exactly what I HAD to have fixed and what I could maybe get by on. They also told me that the engine needed to be rebuilt, that there was too much end play in it, but that wasn't an option.
After deciding what to get fixed, they got started. When the brake caliper came it, they got it on the vehicle and me out the door for a bargain. I can't remember the price, but it wasn't at all bad considering they could have charged any price they wanted to based on my situation and I would have paid it.
And they did all that despite the shop being full and me having no appointment. They went out of their way to help some guy who was never going to come back, who had no chance of being a repeat customer, and bent over backwards to get me on the road and make sure I got to my destination.
When I was leaving, I told them I wanted to take a picture of them by the van to start the documenting of my chapter of this van. So they did. Zinda Sr. blessed the van and made the sign of the cross on his chest as I was taking the picture to top off all his work with some divine intervention to help me make it back.
And make it back I did. 1100 miles in just under 30 hours. NOT ONE SINGLE PROBLEM, NOT ONE SINGLE ISSUE during the entire trip. Got to San Diego in plenty of time to make the Van Halen concert the next day!
The blessing definitely helped because about 250 miles after I got to San Diego, the engine was leaking some serious oil and I had to break down and get the motor rebuilt like they said I would. BUT the thing that is important is that it didn't happen on the way home and for that I am truly thankful for the Zinda's and their dedication to quality work, customer service and not screwing someone over that they easily could have. Oh, and they even GAVE me a brand new side tent for the thing too right before I left! Seriously?!? How cool was that?
Thanks again guys! Hopefully I'll be in town again someday and will be able to swing by and give you some more business. Until then, I hope everybody who's considering where to take their vehicle to have it worked on reads this review and takes it to Zinda's! You will NOT be disappointed! read more