Garage Yourself

I finally got tired of being treated like dirt by mechanics, not to mention being gouged on price my trouble. So I watched some youtube videos, hit Amazon (in hindsight there are better sites for auto parts), and bought some tools and was prepared to try to do it in my driveway. Ha! Even after multiple trips to get more tools, different sockets, I was losing the battle.
But Garage Yourself helped me win the war. Todd was incredibly helpful, answering any and every question I had an imparting wisdom along the way. Autozone is less than 5 min away by foot, and I had to go twice.
I had way more fun than I expected. Newbies and pros alike working on their cars.
Really wonderful experience. If you’re ready to try to do something yourself on your car, just buy what the car needs and bring it here and you can learn the rest and ask as you go. You’ll have fun and learn about your vehicle without the headache of dealing with a mechanic just trying to put more money in their pocket and you can’t even be sure they did what you paid for.

Found this shop over a year ago, makes even the hardest jobs so much easier. They have every tool you would ever need! I’ve saved thousands by doing jobs at garage yourself and not going to the dealership. Todd was even able to order the parts I needed. Make sure the job is done properly by going to garage yourself!

Great place!!! The owner Todd was super friendly and very helpful, even drove me to the part store to pick up a part. If you are a do it yourselfer and you need a lift etc. don’t hesitate to check this place out. I’m looking forward to being able to go back and get some other projects finished!!!

Awesome place for DIY car fixed. Owner very helpful and informative. All the tools you need are there, would definitely recommend this place.

At the recommendation of the previous reviewer I gave this place a shot because I wanted to «get in the circus». I’m a complete car newbie so this was way out of my comfort zone. Luckily my 2001 Honda is a decent car to work on and a valve cover replacement isn’t a super complicated job… Still it was a lot of hard work for a person entering the shop with very limited skill set and knowledge. Todd was tremendously helpful. The garage is a friendly, clean, safe, professional environment. Because it took me so long I didn’t save a ton of cash, but I learned so much it was more than worth it. I will be back.

Amazing one of a kind place. Went with my fiancé to work on his car, we stopped by to check the place out first since on the map it’s not in what most people would consider the safest area but the shop it’s self is very well kept and there is no sense that any of your property is in danger. You can see that the owner, Todd is very passionate at what he does and is always more than happy to lend a hand, all you have to do is ask.
We needed to get a part from the near by AutoZone and Todd was more than happy to call them up, order the part ad charged us for it on the finale bill which i found very convenient. We will definitely be coming back.

The greatest place for DIY mechanics who don’t have access to a mechanics lift or air tools. Came in to lower my car on some new springs. First off, yes location wise, it is not the nicest neighborhood. Secondly, this is a DIY garage, not a fix it for me when I mess up garage. If you com in trying to swap out pistons and have zero experience with cars, go to a mechanic or a dealership. I needed some assistance with the spring install and was helped, did NOT have the work done for me. A DEFINITE place to go for some DIY time.

The place has just one mechanic who is a complete unprofessional. GO there only if you want to get in circus.
Screwed me up by telling that my car is fixable without computer and special equipment set which resulted in me being stuck in his hole for 6 hours and car sitting in his ghetto for four days.
(He is taking his days off in the middle of a week does not pick up his phone.)
After some research I found out that the car needs special tools and electronic equipment to get fixed.
However he insisted that car was doable and can be done by any BMW mechanic and it is me who cannot fix it.
Finally we agreed that he would do me a favor (turned out to be the opposite, real fun isn’t it?) and find a mechanic who can fix my car in his shop.
He quoted me the price, which was almost the same as a regular service price, but left with no other options I agreed.
After that he sent me to the other part of the city to grab the parts to fix my car (the one I bought he claimed was trash).
I spend half of the day going for the parts and after arrival he claimed that mechanic came and refused to work on the car.
On my question why he told me to go buy the parts he said that mechanic spoke to me before (which was pure lie as I did not speak to anybody) and did not like me. So was ME the turnaround reason for the mechanic not the car that was not fixable). What an joke.
On my question what is the name of the mechanic he started screaming over and over:
«I do not know and I do not want to go over it again!!!»
«I do not know and I do not want to go over it again!!!»
You do not know the name of the mechanic whom you allegedly called to fix the car. Funny.
There was nothing more to talk about as the guy seemed out of his mind. We agreed that I am towing my car to another service once I find one.
He started screaming again: «IF YOU DO NOT FIND SERVICE TODAY I AM GOING TO LOCK YOUR CAR OUT TO THE STREET»
HE CHARGED ME MORE THAN 200 $ FOR EIGHT HOURS INSTEAD OF ACTUAL SIX for the time that I spent trying to fix what was initially unfixable and after that tried to threat me that he was going to get my car out to the street.
Instead of giving apologies for his mistakes or deliberate scam regarding the possibility that car can be fixed he overcharged me.
On my question why he is screaming while it is me who lost money and time because he cheated me with possibility of fixing what was unfixable he gave no answer but started the same scream again: «I do not want to go over it again!!!»
I wish I had own this place to cut this person out of his lease before he does more harm.
Apparently this guy tried to put everything in the way that it was my fault that I could not fix my car and it is he who received damage in the amount of 210 $ paid by me for being stuck in his hole. Not speaking about my other expenses such as tow, car rental etc.
All these because he told me that car were doable on your own.
Interesting position, the car can be done by me but not by professional mechanic who allegedly refused to work on the car due to complexity of the issue.
All the time he kept telling me what a crap German cars are and what hole Miami is.
However the utmost piece of crap I ever met was his place.
So If you are not afraid of taking a bets of getting your car completely screwed up paying 200 $ for the job that can be done by a technician faster and probably cheaper this is definitely your place. Go there and take a chance.

I love this place — I have been a few times and I learn so much everytime I go. The owner, Todd, is a great guy and he’s got all the tools you need for pretty much any job. I went from changing my oil and brakes to re-​building my engine under his guidance. I literally just spent a few days re-​building my engine with racing parts from the ground up. I took my freaking engine out of my freaking car! To me, that is just nuts — it’s all thanks to this place. Basically, if you want to learn anything about your car, how to fix it, and you want to do it yourself without feeling like a complete putz for not knowing much, come here. You’ll learn a ton.
Something I didn’t expect, but that I think is really cool is that he’s encouraging to women too. Automechanics isn’t a gender-​specfic enterprise, but I could imagine that stepping into a garage full of dudes wrenching on motors might be intimidating for female who wants to learn something for the first time — not so here, I’ve seen Todd work with women and he doesn’t miss a beat. Everyon at the garage is real nice, and shop etiquette is huge.
I’d say the best thing about the garage is that the owner is honest about assessing skill level and he’s great at explaining why things happen the way they do on vehicles. The first time I went, I changed my brakes. It’s something I’d helped on other cars, but not on my own at that point. Todd swung by every few minutes to make sure things were going well and stepped in when I could’ve been doing something better.
The next time, I had a hole in my muffler. Todd walked me through buying a muffler (which style and kind would be right and why). When I came back, he taught me to freaking weld! I can’t begin to tell you how rad that is. I’m almost thirty and welding was always a dream. I just never took time to get to a class; I learned basic techniques on the spot and welded new mufflers on in about 3 hours (For those who are proficient at exhaust or welding, don’t judge the time it took me!)
I’d worked on my car a few times in the past with other mechanics in different parts of the country (paying buddies to do some intake work, that sort of thing), so it wasn’t my first time diving into an engine when I showed up. I was still a complete nube though. So, when I told the owner about my plans to re-​build my engine he wanted to know if I was at a level where I was competent to attempt the job. At the time, I’d done my homework and bought all the right parts — I could *kind of* talk the talk on a big job. The owner was encouraging, but he told me to pick up a maintenance manual for my car and read about everything I was going to do. I think it was important that I did small stuff in the garage before attempting the big stuff. The owner would let anyone attempt anything they want, but he’d discourage someone from doing something they weren’t ready for and I think that’s wise.
So all in all — a great place to learn and to save some money!

Unlike other mechanic retail chains, at Garage Yourself you get things done right –the first time.
Pro lifts, tools and help for $ 25 an hour — in an air conditioned shop with music and fellow auto warriors. Here, any job is a small and cheap one.
I only take my car here. Because after thousands of miles of caring and keeping me safe, the right thing to do is repair her right and keep her where she belongs — on the road.

Todd is amazing. My husband and I live in Fort Myers, have an old car that broke down while we were visiting Miami, and he was the closest mechanic shop to our location. I’m so glad we went because not only did he help us figure out what was wrong (blown head gasket, ugh) but he helped us compare our options and have us estimates on what it would cost to fix ourselves or to pay for it to get fixed. He is a very honest guy, and there was nothing in it for him to help us out, since we would be getting the work done at home. Truly a great guy, I highly recommend visiting his well stocked garage and picking his brain on how you can work on your own car.

I do my own work on my BMW here. I was replacing part of the cooling system when a small part snapped off my pliers and disappeared. A very odd Bavarian part that couldn’t be bought by itself. And there was no other way to fix the problem.
An hour’s looking around the engine and shop, no luck. Replacing a 2 cent connector part meant buying a $ 200 cooling hose assembly. Arrrgh…
Todd, the owner, worked hard and found a perfect substitute in his scrap bin. Misery solved by a guy who was willing to go the extra mile to help a customer.
I’ll be back.

Garage Yourself is a great idea who time has come. I am in agreement with all the positive comments below, so I won’t cover old ground, other than to say that Todd, the owner, is great. He is knowledgeable and helpful with explaining how to use the labor-​saving tools that he has. He was also very patient with a newbie like me who has a German car in which a simple fluid change turned into a real irksome experience, thanks to very poorly placed transfer case and ATF fill plugs.
Based on my experience, my suggestions to anyone new to DIY car repair are the following things. 1. Start with simple things, and plan ahead through on-​line research and Bentley research. 2. Plan lots of time to complete the job. 3. Only bring specialty tools specific to your car. Todd has all the typical tools on-​site to get the job done. 4. Always order extra fluids, because stuff spills, and you don’t want to be left short if you do spill.
Again, thank you Todd!
Eric S.
2007 BMW 530xi SportWagen (E61)

Great place to repair your car and save money! Buy parts and do it yourself! I live in apartment condo and have to park my car on the 5^th floor in tiny parking space. So I really don’t have a place to work on my car. Garage Yourself helped me a lot. I installed my full bodykit there, installed coilovers there, installed some aftermarket JDM parts and also performed some regular maintenance and I plan to install exhaust there. Owner is a great guy! I wish I knew that place before!

If Unilocal supported ⁶⁄₅ stars, I’d be giving it.
Just look at the other reviews… what more needs to be said? Work on your car on a lift in a well-​lit and spacious area, have all the tools you need, save a ton of money, and have fun while doing it.

If you’re serious about getting your car fixed correctly, which usually means DOING THE JOB YOURSELF, then this is the place for you! The owner Todd has packed the house full of excellent lifts and tools, all for rent at great rates. The spacious garage is open almost all the time, and Todd is super friendly and passionate about making sure your experience is a good one. Don’t be intimidated by getting your hands dirty, the business is very clean, bright, and welcoming, and Todd will guide you with whatever assistance you may need.
I got tired of taking my Lexus all over town only to pay small fortunes for shoddy repair work. Living in a condo prevented me from doing any work on my car, so having Garage Yourself has enabled me to repair my car correctly on my own and save a lot of money in the process. I will be returning in a couple weeks to do my brakes, change my oil, and hunt down a suspension issue… Thank you to Todd and Garage Yourself!

Time for a RAVING review about this Do-​It-​Yourself Car Repair Garage.
1) The place is clean, in perfect shape, and extremely spacious and functional.
2) They lend you many of the tools you need for your repair at no cost.
3) There is a minor charge to use the air power tools, but the pricing is very fair.
4) You pay a very reasonable hourly rate to have your own car repair shop including a lift and tools.
5) If you get stuck or don’t know how to do something, someone will give you advice and even help you do it.
6) Tod, the owner, takes pride in his business and will help you get a good deal on most parts.
7) If you want to do your own car repair and either have no place to do it, are not 100% sure how to do it, or just want to have some guy time while doing it, you must absolutely come here.
8) Garage Yourself was THE BEST THING that has ever happened to me car-​wise.
9) When I had some error codes on my ECM, Tod went over them with me one by one, looked up a possible solution, and then suggested whether and how to fix them.
10) I have not been so pleasantly surprised and enthusiastic about a business in a long time.