A true test of a repair shop's honesty is when your car breaks down on the road and has to be towed to a shop you have never used before. This what happened to me. While on the road, my classic BMW's motor suddenly died without warning -- no sputtering, just running smoothly one second and dead the next. New to the area, I had no choice but to entrust it to the nearest repair shop, which turned out to be Longo's Auto, LLC -- which just happens to specialize in foreign cars.



Imagine if you were a dishonest shop and out of the blue a stranger's dead car gets deposited on your doorstep. Dollar signs would light up your eyes, right? There I was, formally over a barrel, completely at the mercy of Frank Longo, the shop's owner. Having shown up without an appointment, I figured it would take ages before they'd get to my car and the entire time I'd feel like I was on Death Row, waiting to be hit with some lethal news. Instead, just two days later Frank called and told me my car was ready. Closing my eyes, I asked him what the problem had been, and he replied, "It was just a loose wire and a blown fuse."



I couldn't believe my ears, and finally managed to say, "My God, Frank, you're an honest man!" He just acted like it was no big deal; he already knew he was an honest man, and I didn't even bother to ask how much it would cost. When I picked up my car, we had a wonderful, friendly conversation as we went to his office to charge my credit card, at which point he asked, "How much did I say it was?"



"You didn't say," I told him.



He shrugged, "How about ... sixty bucks?"



"Anything you say," I responded. "You could have sold me a new motor if you wanted." Sixty dollars, when fifty of that is the basic hourly mechanic's fee!



Needless to say, Frank's is my go-to repair shop from now on; and don't let anybody tell you that this man is dishonest: Five minutes with him and anyone who's a good judge of character will know immediately that this is a decent, honest man who knows cars, having fixed them for Honda for 27 years. Frank Longo's The Best!