Trustworthy mechanics are hard to come by. Most automotive mechanics are in for the money and not really for the service they provide. Being a car enthusiast, I have encountered many exceptional or good mechanics but 99% of them are just opportunists after they have gained your trust. This means that they know you would no longer bargain with the fees they will be charging you. The quality of their work will depend on your “belief” of what they say is wrong with your car, even when it is not really that or what it really needs is just a flick of a screwdriver. They may be good but not worth putting your trust in them.

Of the many mechanics I have encountered, I have put my trust only on three of them. It was because of them that I became a self learned mechanic. That happened in the early years of my marriage when we were into public transportation business. The first one I trusted is the owner of one of the auto shops in our city. He is a full-pledged mechanical engineer and participated in some car rallies in our country. Their family is well-to-do in the fresh meat industry. He deviated on his own from that family business and was joined by his two younger brothers. He is a hands-on guy and wouldn’t mind getting dirty or messy doing the job. For minor troubleshooting he could do on his own in less than 15 minutes, he would not charge anything. While doing the job, he would even explain why the defect happened and how to avoid it! He has been the same since and until now. He is so much trustworthy that even friends who now live half-way across the globe still entrust repairs or consult with him. Only consultations come free for that distance.

Another mechanic I had fully put my trust on was the one who maintained my small fleet of 3 taxi cabs and our private cars from the early to mid 1980s. This one is hard to believe but ever since I met him to do some job, he never charged me a single cent. He is a “street mechanic” who could hardly get by. With that, I always insisted that he accept some amount that is fair to the work he does. He has always refused and was just happy to be drinking buddy with our circle of friends. When he is around to service our vehicles, he was always welcome to join us in our meals. There were very rare times when he would ask for some help for medication for his family or some tuition fees for school. He also does servicing and maintenance of vehicles for others which I am quite sure he charges. It just made me wonder why I was an exception to him.

The third mechanic I had put my trust on was when I was already some sort of an accomplished mechanic myself. He was an overseas automotive mechanic for many years before he came home. I still had many to learn and it was unbelievable that he respects my abilities as much as I respected his. My knowledge was limited to gasoline engines and he is a master of both diesel and gasoline engines. When I started my auto repair shop past the mid 1980s, it was so easy to consult with him over the phone. If my description of the trouble was vague, he would come over and take a look himself and even do the job himself if need be.

In conclusion, there are trustworthy mechanics not easy to find but not extinct. Of the three I trust, only the first one was popular. The other two were not popular but were the kind of auto mechanics who also want trustworthy clients who would not take advantage of their genuine kindness and generosity. They are those who want to do unto others what they want others to do unto them. That makes them a rarity these days.