Hills Garage - my Experience
02-14-2011, 02:50 PM
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Virginia
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hills Garage - my Experience
A few months ago I started noticing that my ride was getting really, really rough. More than usual for my boosted ’03 Z and I knew that another tune was in order. Not to get too into it, but my last tune was a really bad experience. I was lied to and overcharged (haven’t we all been?) and the car wasn’t right beginning with the ride home. Anyways, after that experience I started doing a lot of forum checking, looking at everyone on the East Coast. I was determined to have the job done right this time and I kept hearing about Hills Garage and how Frank really went the extra mile for his clients. I had no idea how fast I was going to put that to the test…
So my first conversation with Hills Garage was surprising. It was around the first of the year, and I was planning ahead for a Spring tune. Suzanne was more than willing to spend as much time on the phone as I needed. I was surprised that even when they were not there, the calls are forwarded to where clients can talk to someone. I never had a situation where I was left wanting to talk with them was not able to. Yes, I am a needy client, and yes, they were more than accommodating to that. Frank explained all the ins and the outs to me regarding what I would be expecting. But anyone is willing to go the extra mile to earn a new client, right? I mean the fact I was shopping around meant that they had to put a little extra time into me, right? But would it continue? I have to say that up to this point, they were living up to the high expectations I had after all the searches I did on them. So I set my appointment up for March, as I live about 4 hours away.
Of course, things rarely go as planned. 2 weeks ago, my throttle started going insane. My engine was detonating, vibrations galore – and that was under normal driving conditions – No boost! I called up and they worked me into the schedule. If I could have taken the weekend, Suzanne would have made room for me the next weekend. Unfortunately, unlike some of the members here, my world does not revolve around my car (Don't get offended, just a little humor...) So we set it up for 2.11.11 drop off at 9:30 p.m.
Frank is a great guy, instantly warm and reassuring. After working from 8:00 that morning until 5:00 and leaving directly for Baltimore, I wasn’t in the most social of moods, but Frank and I sat down and went over the game plan without me having to repeat myself. Ended up being one and a half hours talking about everything from my cars to the wheels another client had brought in for his G35. I say this for 2 reasons: First – my wife was pissed that I lost track of the time and had to wait on me. Second – Frank was cool. One of those guys you have to pull yourself away from because you can lose track of time. But being "cool" and knowing how to fix a car don't always go hand in hand.
So about his work.... By now it is 11:00 and what does he say? He’s getting right to it. Now, by no means am I advocating everyone and their mother coming to Frank wondering why their build isn’t finished the next day. I had an emergency from 4 hours away, and 2 days for him to look over a car he had never seen, fix the issues, and hopefully get it re tuned. So when he calls me up at 10:00 the next morning, I was surprised he beat me to it. Normally I am the one banging down the door to find out what in the world is going on with my car. The communication was beautiful. I got a call every 3 hours with the problems that were mounting up – everything from holes 5/8” thick in my turbo piping, to shoddy vaccum work that said previous tuner decided to rig up on my HKS Boost controller. Things I paid the previous tuner to fix/install correctly (from what I hear, this tuner closed his doors a little while ago) but never was.
The detonation was with finger loose spark plugs, vaccum leaks galore, water/gas/oil buildup in the piping, etc. all were diagnosed and fixed Saturday. I mean, Frank went crazy working until 3 or 4 that morning, and kept saying “I am not sure this is all going to be done with enough time to do the retune”. He had an event that he told me on Friday he would be attending on Sunday. What did he do? His exact words Sunday morning were “I was going to go, but I think your problems are a lot more important”. Who does that? And on a Sunday too?? So he and his tuner Frank got my Z on the Dyno Sunday afternoon. Frank and Frank, not even kidding. He turns the wrenches, and his tuner with 20 years experience pressed the keys. Again, I was skeptical when I heard that Frank (the tuner) was top 12 in the nation. 3 hours later, my car was done. How does it run, you ask?
I am skeptical no more. I never thought my car could be as sound, smooth, and powerful as it is now. Did I mention Smooth? After driving it the 4 hours back down to where I live, I told my wife I wanted to unpack and go back out on the road. I didn’t know my car was capable of being in its current condition, guys. It is like a brand new car, and all I want to do now is find a secluded little stretch of road and go. To say that the tune is ridiculous is an understatement. I gained 5 points on the vacuum – went from -19 to -23 which means my spool up is that much faster. After being used to a rough ride, I compare it to sleeping on concrete (or jail) for a year, and then finding yourself on a King sized, pillowtop mattress with the woman (or man - whatever, I don't judge) of your choice next to you. Yea.....
To be up front, Hills Garage isn’t the “cheapest”, though his rates are fair. But with what he charges you will get the best service, the best communication, a knowledge mechanic and helluva tuner. I know these forums are rough, and that posts like this are asking for a flaming. But that is alright – if this helps just one guy who is on the fence then I am all for it. I am not trying to start a debate here about shop A vs Shop B - I want to do right for fellow members looking for a great garage, and I want to do right for Frank for going the extra mile. I have nothing to gain by sharing my experience with you. But know that I will tell whoever asks (and I get asked a lot) about who got my car running the way it does, I’ll point them to Hills Garage. The hype was lived up to, plus some. The results were more than what I had expected, and Hills Garage has a client for life. Truth is I probably won’t get a chance to make another trip for a while, unfortunately.
So in a nutshell, this was my experience: Best ever.
Thank you, Hills
So my first conversation with Hills Garage was surprising. It was around the first of the year, and I was planning ahead for a Spring tune. Suzanne was more than willing to spend as much time on the phone as I needed. I was surprised that even when they were not there, the calls are forwarded to where clients can talk to someone. I never had a situation where I was left wanting to talk with them was not able to. Yes, I am a needy client, and yes, they were more than accommodating to that. Frank explained all the ins and the outs to me regarding what I would be expecting. But anyone is willing to go the extra mile to earn a new client, right? I mean the fact I was shopping around meant that they had to put a little extra time into me, right? But would it continue? I have to say that up to this point, they were living up to the high expectations I had after all the searches I did on them. So I set my appointment up for March, as I live about 4 hours away.
Of course, things rarely go as planned. 2 weeks ago, my throttle started going insane. My engine was detonating, vibrations galore – and that was under normal driving conditions – No boost! I called up and they worked me into the schedule. If I could have taken the weekend, Suzanne would have made room for me the next weekend. Unfortunately, unlike some of the members here, my world does not revolve around my car (Don't get offended, just a little humor...) So we set it up for 2.11.11 drop off at 9:30 p.m.
Frank is a great guy, instantly warm and reassuring. After working from 8:00 that morning until 5:00 and leaving directly for Baltimore, I wasn’t in the most social of moods, but Frank and I sat down and went over the game plan without me having to repeat myself. Ended up being one and a half hours talking about everything from my cars to the wheels another client had brought in for his G35. I say this for 2 reasons: First – my wife was pissed that I lost track of the time and had to wait on me. Second – Frank was cool. One of those guys you have to pull yourself away from because you can lose track of time. But being "cool" and knowing how to fix a car don't always go hand in hand.
So about his work.... By now it is 11:00 and what does he say? He’s getting right to it. Now, by no means am I advocating everyone and their mother coming to Frank wondering why their build isn’t finished the next day. I had an emergency from 4 hours away, and 2 days for him to look over a car he had never seen, fix the issues, and hopefully get it re tuned. So when he calls me up at 10:00 the next morning, I was surprised he beat me to it. Normally I am the one banging down the door to find out what in the world is going on with my car. The communication was beautiful. I got a call every 3 hours with the problems that were mounting up – everything from holes 5/8” thick in my turbo piping, to shoddy vaccum work that said previous tuner decided to rig up on my HKS Boost controller. Things I paid the previous tuner to fix/install correctly (from what I hear, this tuner closed his doors a little while ago) but never was.
The detonation was with finger loose spark plugs, vaccum leaks galore, water/gas/oil buildup in the piping, etc. all were diagnosed and fixed Saturday. I mean, Frank went crazy working until 3 or 4 that morning, and kept saying “I am not sure this is all going to be done with enough time to do the retune”. He had an event that he told me on Friday he would be attending on Sunday. What did he do? His exact words Sunday morning were “I was going to go, but I think your problems are a lot more important”. Who does that? And on a Sunday too?? So he and his tuner Frank got my Z on the Dyno Sunday afternoon. Frank and Frank, not even kidding. He turns the wrenches, and his tuner with 20 years experience pressed the keys. Again, I was skeptical when I heard that Frank (the tuner) was top 12 in the nation. 3 hours later, my car was done. How does it run, you ask?
I am skeptical no more. I never thought my car could be as sound, smooth, and powerful as it is now. Did I mention Smooth? After driving it the 4 hours back down to where I live, I told my wife I wanted to unpack and go back out on the road. I didn’t know my car was capable of being in its current condition, guys. It is like a brand new car, and all I want to do now is find a secluded little stretch of road and go. To say that the tune is ridiculous is an understatement. I gained 5 points on the vacuum – went from -19 to -23 which means my spool up is that much faster. After being used to a rough ride, I compare it to sleeping on concrete (or jail) for a year, and then finding yourself on a King sized, pillowtop mattress with the woman (or man - whatever, I don't judge) of your choice next to you. Yea.....
To be up front, Hills Garage isn’t the “cheapest”, though his rates are fair. But with what he charges you will get the best service, the best communication, a knowledge mechanic and helluva tuner. I know these forums are rough, and that posts like this are asking for a flaming. But that is alright – if this helps just one guy who is on the fence then I am all for it. I am not trying to start a debate here about shop A vs Shop B - I want to do right for fellow members looking for a great garage, and I want to do right for Frank for going the extra mile. I have nothing to gain by sharing my experience with you. But know that I will tell whoever asks (and I get asked a lot) about who got my car running the way it does, I’ll point them to Hills Garage. The hype was lived up to, plus some. The results were more than what I had expected, and Hills Garage has a client for life. Truth is I probably won’t get a chance to make another trip for a while, unfortunately.
So in a nutshell, this was my experience: Best ever.
Thank you, Hills
02-14-2011, 04:01 PM
#4
Registered User
iTrader: (15)
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Martinsburg, WV
Posts: 608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hpnatized9, you will never get blasted from me for taking a stand on a stand up situation or shop.
With that being said, there are only three people I trust to touch my car. I am one. You already know the other two are Franks
. I am so glad to hear that he has once again done his magic. Trust me you are not a one time thing. No you are not the only one. Suzanne and Frank treat every one with dignity and respect. Franks work ethic is second to none. I am so tempted to build my motor after my wedding/honymoon is paid for and I assure you Frank Hill is the only person who will do it. That is if I could beg him to do it! I went through the same situation as you when it comes to having a unsatified tune. Not as bad experiance. But to go from one place with the same car to where it is when they gave it back is undescribable. Glad to hear all is well.
With that being said, there are only three people I trust to touch my car. I am one. You already know the other two are Franks
. I am so glad to hear that he has once again done his magic. Trust me you are not a one time thing. No you are not the only one. Suzanne and Frank treat every one with dignity and respect. Franks work ethic is second to none. I am so tempted to build my motor after my wedding/honymoon is paid for and I assure you Frank Hill is the only person who will do it. That is if I could beg him to do it! I went through the same situation as you when it comes to having a unsatified tune. Not as bad experiance. But to go from one place with the same car to where it is when they gave it back is undescribable. Glad to hear all is well.
02-14-2011, 06:40 PM
#7
National Z Club President
iTrader: (15)
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: the coolest place on earth
Posts: 9,952
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
I was at the shop today going over my plans/ordering parts fir the z to go back in in a couple weeks ne he was telling ne about his "fun" over the weekend 
. Was wondering if you were on here. Hope to see you around this summer and the car keeps a smile on your face all year long.
. Was wondering if you were on here. Hope to see you around this summer and the car keeps a smile on your face all year long.
Trending Topics
02-14-2011, 09:39 PM
#11
New Member
iTrader: (68)
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: McDonalds - NOVA - DC/MD/VA
Posts: 4,121
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Great to hear you had a wonderful experience! Seems like Frank is the Mid-A shop to go to that doesn't charge ridiculous labor/tuning rates, and has excellent customer service! Can't beat that.
02-15-2011, 02:04 PM
#13
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Virginia
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I am glad to add to the great review/experiences all have had. Good luck with your builds Barnabas and Atomic. Would love it if I had a local group, but no dice. Next time I'm up I'll be seeing before hand if there are going to be any meets planned. Might even plan my trip around one...
02-15-2011, 07:36 PM
#17
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Virginia
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I think the throttle response was crazy (I assume this was what you are meaning) may be due to 2 things. The hole in the piping possibly affected the BOV correct function, though I would have thought it would have helped. Second is that Frank took a full 9 degrees out of the timing previously set. This would be a great time to tout my lack of full knowledge about the details. Maybe these were the reasons, maybe not.
02-16-2011, 06:34 AM
#18
Registered User
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Washington D.C.
Posts: 898
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
hills is legit, and although not cheap(what do you expect a six-pack and some pizza to cover the shop overhead) , cheap compared to other shops rates and actually having someone know what there doing and comming in under there estimates. I had work done at AAM, FT,AMS, MAM's, etc and NEVER left under what the estimate was, nor felt confident it was done right. I sold my G so this isnt a fan boy-special pricing worthless post. I trust the guy and would bring my new car there except for it being an hour and a half away. Few people out there are stand up people with as much attention to detail as Frank. Much respect.
02-16-2011, 09:50 AM
#20
Registered User
Thread Starter
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Virginia
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Truthfully I would rather not say, Aberto. No disrespect at all. Though we wouldn't mean to spark one, it would certainly happen. Barnabas asked about certain shop "X" and look where that went.....And that isn't why I wrote the post.
By the way, incredible vids Alberto
By the way, incredible vids Alberto