Eion’s Automotive

I’ve been going to Eion for years. He’s an honest mechanic. You can trust his word and his talent. He’s helped me on odd jobs and very difficult jobs with my custom CC and my 88 Vanagon. Thanks Eion.

You can trust Eion with your vanagon work. Highly recommended.

Update: As of a few years ago, Eion left the Tec Shop and started Eion’s Automotive. I was thrilled when I found that out and immediately came back to being a loyal customer. The Tec Shop is no more and good riddance says I…
Eion, on the other hand, has the knowledge and patience to be the right guy for the job. He’s helped me out via phone when I was broke down on the road as well as done excellent work on my 88 Westy, everything from installing aftermarket parts from GoWesty to handling my tranny rebuild with AA-​Transmission.
Always a fount of knowledge, his great automotive skills are a blessing to have around.

Tec Shop must be the old name and old location. Eion’s Automotive is on Westlake Ave., a few blocks south of the Fremont Bridge. Eion was so great over the phone, pre-​repair and his work was phenomenal. I won’t be going anywhere else for my vanagon care & repair! I had removed the tranny with my brother-​in-​law for a rebuild and then attempted to put it back in. I didn’t know what I was doing and hooked up the shift linkage wrong. Eion knew what I was talking about when I explained, he fixed it all up and then explained what I had done (so I don’t do it wrong again). The shifting is like a dream now (much credit goes to Gary Zink for the rebuild). He also let me know the things I’d need to fix up in the future in order of immediacy, but it wasn’t pressure to bring it back in and he answered all my questions re: those future repairs. Thanks so much, Eion. AWESOME!

I have taken my 2002 Passat to Eion, a hand full of times. Each time I walk away feeling good about my decision. Despite the unwanted advice of others to take my car elsewhere because it would be cheaper to drive it down South, I’ve decided to stay close to home and support my cities local professionals… and I never regret it with Eion. He is a standup guy who gives you an honest and detailed answer about what is going on with your car, in a non-​condescending way (especially when you don’t know cars at all). Even when I have tried to see what it will cost at other shops, I was either quoted twice the amount of what Eion charges, or wasn’t called back at all. Eion is definitely my go to guy for my car, and will always refer people to him. I know I will always drive away with a car safe enough to be on the road.
Also… another shout out to him for meeting me early on a Saturday morning since I couldn’t pick up my car after work during the week.

Ok… Long story. So get ready. my dealings with Tec shop began long ago, in their location far far away. (Ok North Gate) At the time I had recently purchased a 1987 VW Syncro. It was having serious cooling/​power issues and I knew it was not going to be good. I did my research; and I became a minor annoyance on VW forums (the samba) I decided that I was going to need a new motor… As I knew I would keep this beast forever. And through my research I found out that Tec Shop was not only respected on the forums, but also the only installer of Bostig’s ford based engine swap. (Which I was leaning towards) So, I limped my van to their shop, dropped my van off with a note– «please repair.»
The owner at the time was Ray. Ray is a crazy man, but the kind of crazy that can only be cultivated from genius. I got a call a couple days later, confirming my suspicions, I needed either a major rebuild: or a new engine. I elected for the Bostig swap; now this was not cheap, all in I was facing a 10k bill (Kit, engine, tranny rebuild and install).
But. This is a Vanagon!!! And what better to explore the NW than with a reliable, efficient, comfortable, vanagon. so fast forward 6 years, I have driven my van over 60,000 miles, through the dunes in Moses lake, the mountains in Canada, beaches of Oregon. Though the Rockies, the plains, the coast of Florida, across Texas twice! California’s beaches, the redwoods. I even let the van sit for one whole year– untouched… I came back, put a new battery in– and drove across the country. I do not hesitate to take my Vanagon, anywhere and everywhere. Because I trust the work that was done on it at Tec Shop.
So, I was driving home one day and saw their new location!!! Ray no longer runs the shop, his son, Eon (sp) has moved it to its current location. He is the evil genius, (look at him! Look again!!!) behind that shop. Today I needed to replace a front Syncro CV boot cover that I found torn as I prepare for a road tip… Oh yeah, road trip is tomorrow. no way I can find that part in time– call Ieon (one spelling has to be right) «I’ll have it here by 3pm.»
So thank you Tec shop! For being awesome.

The owner of the shop contacted me and refunded the cost of the my second opinion. He seemed genuinely interested in making the situation right and did not ask me to modify my review in any way. Sometimes its just really hard to tell in this business.

Road tripping around the US, having some turbo issues and stopped in to see Eion on someone’s very positive recommendation. So glad we did! So incredible to work with a mechanic who not only really knows his stuff, but is also friendly and completely open about the process and what is going on with the vehicle. He took the time to explain our Vanagon’s issues and how it works when it is smooth. I not only recieved great service, but learned a lot too. Highly recommended. Great! Great! Great!

Here is my story:
I took my 2007 VW Jetta to University VW because my car was having weird electrical issues. My husband and I had done some initial testing and diagnosis because we’re techy like that. I had had good experiences with a VW dealership where I used to live in Montana so I expected I would have good service with University VW, too.
WRONG. Basically, the place gave me a crap diagnosis and charge me 160 bucks for it. I don’t even know why this place wastes their time «servicing» vehicles.
The service department told me I needed to bring it back in for $ 1,000 worth of service to fix the issue.
I was not happy with their customer service so I took it to the VWTecShop. The Tec Shop took the time to diagnose my vehicle and explain the issues to my husband and myself. They gave us a ton more information than University VW. Turns out my car had been totaled before I bought it and had been essentially re-​wired incorrectly. So it needed to be re-​wired/​have a new computer put in. They also did a diagnosis to determine everything that was wrong with my vehicle and what it would cost to fix.
After all this the guy at VWTecShop recommended I take it to Campbell Nelson VW. Campbell Nelson fixed the issues with my car and because they (Campbell Nelson) had originally misdiagnosed the issue (what they quoted me for the fix), they ended up charging me less than the actual cost of the fix (my car needed a new computer). Props to Campbell Nelson.
I feel like Uni VW just wants to get you in and out and make some money off of you. Horrible customer service. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME HERE!
INSTEAD– go to the Tec Shop. The people here are honest and trustworthy and will do good work on your vehicle. I wish there were more places out there like this.
…and Tec Shop… please do not ever close your doors.
One more note… unfortunately my VW was totaled not long ago and I now own a Prius. I am hoping I will be a VW owner one day again soon (maybe a beetle?) and will certainly take my car back to the Tec Shop.
xoxo to you Tec Shop!

If Money is no object the Tec Shop is for you. I blew an engine in my 86 Vanagon, got a quote from the Tec Shop that was reasonable and decided to go with it.
However the costs went up by the thousand and before long I was paying more for the Engine Repair than the van was worth.
My advise is to go elsewhere, anywhere else…

As a first time Audi owner, i did not have a shop i regularly serviced my car at. Went to a couple in my local area but eveyrone seem very rude and did not explain what they were charging me for thoroughly and if i had any questions, were very annoyed. Always passed this neighborhood shop and figured i’d try it out.
Eion is the most sincere shop owner i’ve met. Him and his staff make an extra effort to not only fix issues, service the car, but to also make sure you are comfortable with all of the work before starting. Prices are always fair, in fact i feel bad at times because he does not charge for the extra things he puts into the work. He goes the extra length to double check everything.

I have lived in North Seattle for a decade and am on my 3^rd Vanagon. Like many VW enthusiasts it is a love hate relationship with these rigs. I feel like I finally got a good runner, but it needs some love. Eion has recently taken over Tec Shop from his father. I have to say it feels like a totally different place. He is a kind and thoughtful guy and seems to always have time to answer a question. He recently did a clutch slave cylinder and master cylinder repair. The van is running great. I am really excited for Eion and his new business and new way of running Tec Shop. He is my mechanic! Thanks Eion.

Have had my Jetta since high school, 10+ years. Tec Shop happened to be near my house so I took my car there for some maintenance stuff initially; clutch, timing etc. Not only did they do the job right, and within a good time frame, they also didn’t charge an arm and a leg. Liked the work, liked the price. Made them my go-​to for my Jetta.
Had an issue with the wiring and the brake/​turn signals switching. Car was at least 12 years old at this point, so they made it a point to save me money but still do a great job and fix the problem. To top it off, Ray spends as much time as it takes to explain exactly what he will/​has done with the car, never does a thing until he has the conversation with you about prices, time line, etc.
I would never take my current VW or any future VW anywhere else. Everyone gouges prices for European car repair. Not these guys!

Eion has just recently (2013) taken over the business and I’m very excited for his plans for the future. While Eion has worked there since the beginning, he hasn’t been really in charge of how the shop was run until recently. Quality, trust, and good communication are the pillars of what he’s driving towards…
Eion has installed a bostig engine, and subaru engine, and a diesel VW engine for me in the various Vanagons I’ve owned. Incredible quality and craftmanship each and every time. Would recommend him to anyone looking for quality mechanical work!!!

I had Ray and Eion work on my van for about 2 months recently and I cannot complain in the slightest. They were helpful, informative, thorough, and just an overall pleasure to work with. I was pleasantly surprised by the final invoice, which I am pretty sure was subsidized by them because they spent so much time carefully assessing the cause of the problems I was having. The Vanagon runs like a charm now and I cannot wait to take it back to them when funds permit to make some of the comfort upgrades that Eion and I discussed earlier.
I think it says a lot about a shop that I would travel up to Seattle, WA from Portland, OR to get my car serviced by these guys – they know what they are doing and are a pleasure to work with.
I hate Unilocal by the way. It’s a scam and they use their ‘filtered reviews’ to strong arm companies into advertising with them. Let’s see if this review ends up ‘filtered’ as well.

Click on the ‘filtered reviews’ at the bottom of the page … once, a pattern does not make, 3 times from 3 different people … a pattern DOES make.

Nothing but good things to say… have stopped by several times to ask ‘little’ questions and the father/​son combo have been more than happy to give a few minutes of their time. Most recently I had to fix a broken lock/​glove compartment. I did a quick check at the local VW dealership and cost with labor was $ 300 +. Ray and son gave me suggestions/​options which saved me over a $ 100 (I had the Tec Shop do the work and got the part from the junk yard with their help). All in all, they under promised and over-​delivered. I would use them again, no doubt.

So i was in a pinch and do to my own stupidity messed up the firing sequence on my aircooled. These guys dont even work on aircooled bugs but I was in a hurry and freaking out. This guy kind of looking like a surfer dude who was obviously way too busy to deal with my crap casually fixed it with ease and in a matter of seconds. Shook my hand and sent me on my way. Saved my bacon! Thanks…

This week they did maintenance stuff for my vanagon (brake fluid flush, coolant flush, check fuel lines for age) plus they replaced my missing rear sidemarker. I got an exact quote from Ray in advance (he does this for everyone). I wasn’t worried about being ripped off at all. They even replaced my themostat without changing that quote.