Working On Your Own Car in CH

Transportation, Travel and Trips
1
Hi ,

Im not a total gearhead but do like wrenching on cars, and abhor having to pay massive mechanics bills for stuff I can do my self.

I even have aspirations of turbo\SC design and installation, but thats another topic altogether.

This is altogether not a very welcoming place for people wanting to do their own work.

Does anyone know whether there are clubs or garages that allow one to perhaps rent space or let you use their garages and lifts to work on ones own cars?

3day.

2
I hope you aren't speaking of the forum..

3
There is a fix it yourself garage in Zurich, north of the station somewhere. I would like to know more myself.

4
Not been to either of these myself, but there's DIY garages in:

Dietikon, close to MediaMarkt: http://www.selfmech.ch/index.html

Oerlikon, near the station: http://www.do-it-yourself-garage.ch/

(website is down at the moment, don't know if the garage is still there...)

5
I drove past the site of the one in Oerlikon last weekend, there's an enormous building construction going on there at the moment and it looks as though the diy garage has gone.

6
Thanks Bern.

Ill check it out and post feedback I live right by Dietikon.

this is good.

7
Well, I also like to do minor things myself, and I've met exactly the same problem - local people just have their eyes rounded when you try to explain them that you are able to do mechanics yourself.

The solution for me was quite simple, I just got a numeric value of spare parts I want, and I simply visited the official garage and asked for a spare part. In my case, I have Toyota, so I picked up a first Toyota garage in the region, wrote them email in English, got _no_ reply ... Visited them, and got my spare parts.

Unfortunalty, this does not solve the problem of taking place to do mechanics. Because if you do it on a street, you can be warned by police or local people...

8
I've been told of for working on my car in the garage. I had it up on jack stands with the brakes taken apart. I still havent found the place in dietikon maybe theyve moved.

Also I've found that parts , for japanese and american cars, Regardless where you buy them from here in switzerland, seem to be fixed at ridiculously high prices.

I believe they all come from exclusive importers or somesuch who dictate the rates.

Buying from america for stuff thats not too heavy is 60 percent or so cheaper. (first we have to resolve the problem of where to take the car to wrench on it. )

3day

9
Well, I was buying parts for Toytoa, would not say the prices were that higher ...

10
I believe fixing your car on the street is illegal.

11
The website would suggest they're still in business.

The big building site is a different location. I don't think the garage is affected.

12
don't know anything about them,but for those around aarau this might be useful:

http://www.doitgarage-seetal.ch/

as for buying parts from main dealers, that's the most expensive place to go.

13
You lucky Zürchers seem to have a few DIY garages to choose from. Does anyone know of anything similar near Bern? Thanks.

Failing that, would anyone be interested in taking a part share in a garage/workshop?

14
If can share with me links to dealers which are small and sell cheaper I would appreciate it.

15
I have worked on my MGF a couple of times at the Orlikon place. They are great, really helpful, with a full range of tools / equipment / car lifts etc. You pay by the hour, and they will take all the worn out bits away for you, and the old oil etc.

Working on the car in my driveway would attract a little audience of the local kids. (Useful when you need a spanner passer.)

The conversations would be along the following lines:

Bischt Mechaniker?

(Are you a mechanic?)

Nein, ich bin Geologe.

(No, I'm a geologist.)

Silence interupted by whispered / muttered conversation..

Dan wieso schaffts du auf dini auto?

(So why are you working on your car?)

Weil es mir Spass macht, und so kann mann Geld sparen.

('Cos it's fun, and saves me money.)

Silence interupted by whispered / muttered conversation..

Bischt Mechaniker?

(Are you a mechanic?)

The concept of tinkering with your own car to save money and for a bit of a laugh is totally alien.

Just to underline the racial differences, I will happily spend a sunny Saturday deep in the engine covered in oil, my Swiss neighbor is equally happy cleaning his beamer for hours on a sunny Saturday, inside and out, and I have seen him using cotton ear buds around the tyre vaves...

Cheers

Jim

16
dunno where near bern you are but i know of a place in schwarzenburg if that's any help.

if you managed to fnd a place to rent at a reasonable price for working on cars you woudn't have any trouble finding dozens of people to share it.

"reasonable price" is obviously a variable depending on your own financial situation. there's plenty of new buildings to rent all over the country which in many cases are actually cheaper than the incredible sums demanded for an old building with no heating, water or electricity.

if anyone knows of anything around burgdorf (for a mate) let me know. the bigger the better.

17

no dealers will be selling cheap, and to get good discount from parts suppliers you either need to be buying a helluva lot or have good trade contacts.

18
Thank you Vellofellow for the subtitles

good post also

19
I think theres potential here to start some sort of mechanics club ... if a group of us get together im sure we could find somewhere to do our own repairs etc and share knowledge ? Anyone else interested ? I know i would be , im alwys tinkering with my bike

20
Yes please! That's only half an hour from us.

There's a place in Konolfingen up for rent - proper workshop with lift, pit etc.

http://www.gratis-inserate.ch/anzeig...lien/10628198/

Not ideal - long and narrow, and no parking, but fine for two vehicles at once (with the odd bit of shifting about). They want 1500/month. Which seems a lot, but it could work out at 30 or 40 CHF per day per person if organised efficiently. Never saw myself as a timeshare salesman - but needs must.

Don't know - sorry. Good place to ask would be a local autospares shop. If you can find one.