Snoops

Hello

Anybody heard of JAZ Porsche in london? What is there reputation like and are they any good?
Thinking of taking my car there to get it serviced but a friend keeps insiting on JZ Mactech.


Thanks for your help

Bins

I think Jaz is in Wembley near the stadium.

Never use Jaz them though they seem to have a good rep.

A good site for UK independents is on

<a href="http://www.911virgin.com/spanners.htm" target="_blank">911 Virgin</a>


Depending on where you are, I have a friend who is a trained Porsche technician in Harrow.

If you want you car serviced, shop around the main dealers as well. They can be pretty competitive too for the basic service. Anything extra can be done by an independent.

<img src="graemlins/jumper.gif" border="0" alt="[jumper]" />

Bins

Oops, I meant I have Never used Jaz though they seem to have a good rep.

Come to think of it AFN Chiswick is good in London and Northampton mainn dealer is pretty good price too.

Francesco

Bins

Are you sure about the last paragraph of your post?
I though most of their mechanics are too busy with their GCSE's at this time of year to worry themselves about our cars.

Bins

Francesco,

Indeed thats true. You would have to wait for their lead time which is probably a month or more.

We might be lucky and they may just work during the Easter holidays.
<img src="graemlins/sleep.gif" border="0" alt="[sleep]" />

maurice97C2S

Hey Guys, now I'm confused! Are we slamming AFN or Arlington Northampton. I have had some minor warranty stuff done at Arlington (belt sensor, rack gaiter), apart from a little misunderstanding (they were going to change the rack!!) they seem quite good. Lubed my front a-roll bar mounts for £40 or so (as non-warranty) which I got back from JCT anyway.

But dish the dirt, no messin'! Others don't want to be victims.

Cheers, Maurice

Francesco

Maurice

Let's just say I've never been to Arlington, nor do I know anyone from Arlington or anyone who has a Porsche serviced in Arlington.
The opposite is true for London.

Bins

No Dirt that I know of.

Just saying that for a basic service, dealers can be just as competitive, so that you can get an authorised Porsche stamp on your service book.

The extras is where it can get expenisve on labour charges from dealers. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Rocket

I too cannot agree about AFN Chiswick. In my own personal experience they are most incompetent dealer for servicing that I have used. Like doing a 4 wheel alignment and forgetting to tightening the bolts up, which caused the rear camber o/s to slip 1.5 degrees and the rear n/s toe to toe in by 2 degrees whilst on a trackday!!!! It was so bad I had to have the car trailered home, as I couldn't drive it on the road.

<a href="http://www.jazweb.co.uk" target="_blank"> Jaz </a> won my affections last year, as it was refreshing to speak to a firm who seemed to talk total sense about everything Porsche. They seem to look after a lot of classic Porsches and, of course, are well know for their exploits with competition cars running their own team and look after various 996 and 993 cup cars etc. The mechanics are all very chatty and knowledgable and don't mind you standing around the workshop whilst your car is being tinkered with.

I took my car to them originally to resolve my dissatisfaction with the straight line performance of my RS, as I was lapping circuits slower (top speeds) than I was in my EVO VI with 330 bhp. I found a lot of truths out about the RS like, for example, that most standard 993RSs seem to produce less than the quoted 300 bhp (having had mine rollered at an embarrassingly low 250 bhp!). It turned out that the Varioram wasn't opening at high rpm on mine, that there were various leaks in the system and the throttle cable was incorrectly connected to the throttle body not allowing it to open fully. Even so (although not rollered again) I reckon I am still only about 290/300 bhp after Jaz's work, and that's with aftermarket exhaust and chip. I think that is probably about right seeing their 993 cup engines are only producing 325bhp.

By comparison AFN stuck the Bosch Hammer on the car and said there was nothing wrong with it!

Give them ago, and make your own mind up, but come what may they are definitely significantly more competent than any other main dealer.

Rocket

P.S they also managed to get my LSD fixed under warranty!

mags993tt

[quote]Originally posted by maurice97C2S:
<strong>Hey Guys, now I'm confused! Are we slamming AFN or Arlington Northampton. I have had some minor warranty stuff done at Arlington (belt sensor, rack gaiter), apart from a little misunderstanding (they were going to change the rack!!) they seem quite good. Lubed my front a-roll bar mounts for £40 or so (as non-warranty) which I got back from JCT anyway.

But dish the dirt, no messin'! Others don't want to be victims.

Cheers, Maurice </strong><hr></blockquote>

My experience with AFN Chiswick as follows:
1) Buy car from them under condition they fix creaky front windshield.
2) Go to pick up car but find I can't because they have re-bonded the windscreen and the car needs to sit for a day or two.
3) Find out about Rennlist and realise creaky windscreen is common problem with easy fix (which is not to re-bond the windscreen).
4) Windscreen rattles more then it ever did.
5) Re-book car in to fix windscreen - first appointment 2 months later
6) Mention to technician (self admitted 20years experience) that car makes burbling/bopping noise when cold and that rennlister said it was the airpump and that it was normal - answer from tech was 'these cars don't have an airpump'. Afore mentioned rennlister then gives me part number for tt airpump which their parts department verify as 993 air pump surprise surprise...
7) Car comes back with windscreen sorted.. BUT... has warped front discs (they were new when I bought the car) and blown ignition key hole illumination light and blown brake light.
8) Take car back to fix brakes - replace both front discs and pads. Explanation - manufacturing defect and they replace blown bulbs.
9) Realise when I get home that one of the alarm sensors on the drivers side A-pillar has had it's bracket broken -obviously while mechanic was fixing the ignition light leant on it- I fix it with super glue rather than risk a couple of other problems emerging if I let them rectify it...

I am in no way passing judgement in whether they are good or bad or average. The above is simply a statement of fact and I have no experience with any other Porsche garage to compare to. As one would expect I haven't been charged a penny during any of the above 'procedures' and they have been most apologetic though reading the archives I find it disturbing that one of the biggest dealers in London didn't know how to fix a windscreen creak on a 993 having found how common it is through the archives.

You guys tell me - is this normal or do I have to have my head examined to go back again?? <img src="confused.gif" border="0">

mags993tt

Rocket, How are you doing? I wish you'd told me your experience when we met!
M

Rocket

I better tell you about Dick Lovett Swindon who fitted 4 new tyres to my car. All was well until mid way through an airfield trackday at Wroughton when I drove down to the village to refuel, there was a loud knocking noise from the rear axle and my rear n/s wheel almost fell off.

Rocket

Stuart Ross UK 1996 C4

Its fair to say I have had a run in with Arlington's of Northampton. I now avoid the main dealers like the plague. Its just not worth it.

Besides as my car is now nearly 6 years old I really don't think the difference between I highly regarded specialist such as JZ Machtech come resale time is going to be that great.

Anyway I don't plan to sell, so JZ Machtech it is for me from now on.

Stuart

Anthony_Vince

Whilst we're on the topic of AFN its probably informative for me to mention the trouble I had with my 97 tt for prospective buyers/customers. I bought my car from Garage on the Green in London, AFN undertook an 89 point check and showed very little wrong with the car. About 3 weeks later, 1 of the big end bearings failed and scratched the crankshaft, the engine temp sensor didn't work, nor did the boost gauge etc. The result: full engine rebuild spanning 3 months costing thousands, no parts in UK, only 1 engine builder etc etc. In their defence they stuck to the quote and negotiated some good will from Porsche AG and in the end did a good job. As for Garage on the Green, I cannot stress enough DO NOT DEAL WITH THEM, they did not pay me a penny, help out in any meaningful way, i could go on for ever about those amateurs...

greg1234

AFN Guildford are just as bad. I took my 928GTS there for a routine service once. As I drove it away, there was a violent "kick" every time it changed gear (automatic gearbox). I turned round immediately and went straight back. "Do you road test these cars after a service?" I demanded angrily. "Of course we do, sir" was the snooty reply. I demanded to see the engineer who worked on the car and took him for a quick drive - he knew exactly what it was right away. He fiddled under the car and reconnected something, and then it was fine. There's some sort of system for smoothing out the gear changes which he had disconnected and forgotten to reconnect.

The point is they either don't road test their cars, or else they send some kid out in it just to see if anything obvious falls off. Not impressed.

It's difficult - you need to find a place where they're small enough to care, but experienced enough to know. You also need to find a place that isn't growing, because it's damn near impossible to maintain standards whilst growing - at best the people with the greatest hands-on experience end up as workshop managers where they do the least good.