ZP Auto [ www.zpauto.com ] (New York, NY) Mechanic(s): Gus
11 Great Jones Street , New York, NY 10012 (212) 995-2377
Features and Specialties: Specializes in Air Conditioning work ,Specializes in Brakes & Mufflers ,Specializes in Engine Rebuild Work ,Specializes in Radiator Work

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Survey results:

They are always honest
They are competent
The repair price is always reasonable
They fix the problem the first time
They complete the work in a timely manner
They respond well when they screw something up
They take the time to explain the problems and necessary repairs
The shop is located in a safe neighborhood
The hours of operation are convenient for customers
They treat male and female customers in the same manner
They are near public transportation (or provide loaners, shuttle bus, rides as needed)

Reviewers Comments:

I brought my car to GK Automotive because it was always stalling. He gave me a few possibilities and told me to stop back in three hours. When I came back, I asked him what the problem was, and what I owed him. Gus told me that there was a vacumn leak that was easily sealed. He then proceeded to tell me that there would be no charge. Gus is a true New York personality who will give you the time to answer a question without giving you the "bums rush." Co-owner Elaine is also cut from the same cloth!

I was having a nightmare car experience which I will not go into because it's too embarrassing (i.e., being totally suckered buying a used car which I unfortunately let myself in for). Gus, in addition to fast, efficient, honest and not overpriced mechanical service was great in the moral support department, as was Elaine. I felt good enough about my transactions with Gus and Elaine that when the nightmare car self- destructed and I had to buy another used car, I bought it through them. The only not-depressing part of my car catastrophe is that I've found a good mechanic.

Gus has worked on my 1963 Ford Fairlane for 10 years and has kept it running great.

I initially found GK Automotive on this web site and decided to give them a call because of the great reviews. I spoke to Gus and he was patient and calm, just a great guy. My car needed body work and he actually told me another guy that could help me out. He actually sent business away! He also hooked me up with a tow truck driver that would take me from the Upper West Side to the Lower East Side for $65! That's cheap in any city. Anyhow, this "other mechanic" turns out to Sam of Sam's Auto Body Shop (426 East 10th Street; 212-254-4331). Sam is a really great, nice guy too, just like Gus. He's very easily accessible because he is always carrying around his cordless phone in the shop. He's usually the one that answers the phone. He told me that job would be done in two weeks, it was done in two weeks. He told me it would cost $4000 bucks, and it did. He also gave me options on getting new or used parts, which can save a lot of money. Since I live on the Upper West Side, he even offered to have one of his guys give me a lift back and forth from the garage to my home. What a great guy. I can't say enough.

We had gas fumes in our Buick 86 Century, Gus got the car in the morning and had it fixed by 1 pm; some fuel injector total cost $236.00 . Paid with Amex and no problems since... Highly recommended. Just around the corner from Lafayette, on Great Jones ..

These guys ROCK. Truly. I moved to NYC from San Francisco last year and despaired of ever finding an good mechanic that I could trust (I've always had trouble). After getting a brake job somewhere else that was terrible, I decided to take the next job - some clutch work - to ZP. I LOVE THEM. Gus had me ride in the car with him, explained everything it *could* be, called me during the day to let me know it wasn't as bad as we thought and had me do a test drive with him before I paid them for it. They are down-to-earth, honest, completely reliable and reasonably priced. I wouldn't take my car anywhere else.

Where do I begin? Brought in my BMW with loud valve tapping. BMW on 57th St told me I needed valve job costing $5000. Gus told me I needed serious oil changes & to drive the car "hard". Took about a year and multiple oil changes, but it cleared up during a hard driving 400 mile trip to Maine. Oh, and the whole problem might have come about because Gus thinks BMW did not do most of the "free" maintenance items during my first 3 years of owning the car. Also brought in my daughter's Honda CRV to replace clutch. Elaine told me to have my daughter come in and observe her driving habits as the clutch was a total mess at only 35k miles. Turns out my daughter took some erroneous advice from boyfriend to "skip" first gear. No one I know in this business would take the time or care to help like that!

My car was in storage for several months. I assumed it would need a tune up so I had it delivered to zp auto, after having read a review on this site. Sure enough the battery was completely dead, and Gus replaced it for a reasonable charge, gave the car a tune up and oil change, made a couple of recommendations to me. What really impressed me was his friendliness and the fact that he seemed genuinely pleased that I wanted to hang around and watch the work being done (I had no where to go). In a city where you often feel marked for exploitation -- and in a business where predatory behavior seems the rule -- Gus and zp auto are a welcome exception.

who ever knew an oil change could be so much fun?? saw the reviews for ZP auto on the cartalk site and decided to call. Elaine said to come right away. The service was prompt, courteous, and efficient. I was in and out in no time at all. While waiting, I chatted with Gus and appreciated his warmth and advice when I asked questions about my car and my ideas for purchasing a new car. It was like talking to someone I had known for years.... Gus also knows first aid. A customer had fallen on her way to the shop and had an abrasion on her arm that needed some attention. Gus insisted on tending her wound. The staff mechanics were personable and considerate as well. A great NYC experience.

Gus is just an incredibly competent mechanic and a nice guy. He gets the work done quickly and does a great job the first time around. He also takes the time to explain everything that was wrong with the car and what it will take to fix it. I have a 1991 Eagle Premier, which is a lemon of a car, and he has helped me keep it running for in excess of 200,000 miles. My parents live in Michigan and I've taken the car to mechanics there when needed. The Michigan mechanics sometimes charge MORE than Gus does. Incredible for New York City.

Gus is a great mechanic and a better guy. He found a "simple" (inexpensive) fix to what we thought could be a complicated AC repair. And he earned a customer for life.

I'm 32, grew up in the city and this is my first car. It's a used car so I wanted to find someone to give it a good first check up. I dont know anyone with a mechanic in the city so I found cartalk and read the reviews on ZP auto. The location was great, right in the middle of the village. Elaine and Gus were very kind and I felt very comfortable with them. Gus took his time and explained to me what he would do. Since it was a used car any number of things could be wrong with it. He told me that he didnt have to do much, that the car was in good shape. The price was reasonable for the city and I had a good vibe from whole experience.

I thought the car was done for....sounded horrible...the grinding- the screaming and creaking....Gus took it for a spin and knew it just needed a new driveshaft!! VOILA! Next day it was ready and just like a new car!!

I needed to get a basic check up on my recently purchased used car. I found cartalk and decided to use ZP auto because of the reviews. Elaine and Gus were really nice people and I felt very comfortable with them. I thought the car was in pretty good condition when I got it. Gus checked out the car and confirmed that only some basic maintenance was needed. The rates were reasonable and I was very happy with the fast and honest service.

I needed to buy a used car to go on a road trip last spring - Gus gave me good advice on what kind of car I should buy, then checked it out for me after I got it and did the service things it needed to make sure it was ready for a long trip. Before I left he put together essential spare belts and stuff for me to take on the trip, in case I got stuck without essential parts at a gas station in the middle of the desert, and after I got back (12,000 miles later) his crew gave the car a good once-over again. I'm happy with Gus and his crew - their work is good, they get it done quickly, and the prices seemed reasonable.

Every time I bring my car into ZP Auto they treat me like I'm one of the family. They get my car in and out in the same day, they give me great service and it's always entertaining to be around Gus and Elayne. I've recommended them to many people and am happy to do so now.

Gus is a New York original - even if you're not getting your car repaired he's worth talking to just for the experience. He's usually doing a thousand things at once, but nearly always doing them well. The co-owner Elaine is an equally fascinating character - she looks like she just stepped out of the cockpit of a crop duster! They've worked on my old car for years and nearly always charge LESS than I anticipate. Gus invariably explains everything in detail. He can also provide you with guidance regarding greasy spoons in the neighborhood. My only reservation is that because his shop is so small and always crowded, they may not have the luxury of investigating every car problem thoroughly. I usually take my car to another place for major repairs.

own an Audi, that should be enough to undertand my issues. I brought it to the dealer when I first noticed something was leaking. They told me I needed a new water pump and that the entire front needed to come off to change it. They wanted an outrageous amount of money (I'm not kidding by that either, it was in the thousands and I needed to book a reservation for a week away). I called ZP Auto after hearing about it from a friend and they were truly fantastic. Not only did they tell me to bring it the next day, they fixed it in one day and charged 1/3 of the price that had Audi told me. I now go there for both my cars and not only do I trust them but Gus and Elayne (the owners) are practically like family, which is the way they treat everyone.

Took my '94 toyota pickup in for an oil change and to check the timing gears/guides. Gus took her for a spin with me and we chatted about how great the truck is (he's got the same one). I left at 8:30am and he called me about an hour and a half later and said the timing gears were just fine but that the shocks were shot to hell. Truck was ready by 1:00pm and when I picked it up late afternoon, Gus went showed me the rusted busted shocks and spent a few minutes letting me know what he had done with the truck. In addition to the shocks and oil change, he teaked a few things at no charge. Truck runs better than ever. Prices were absolutely reasonable. He didn't trying to sell me on anything that wasn't needed. Gus is a genuinely nice guy, really enthusiastic about what he does, and I left feeling like I had found a mechanic who's going to keep my truck running for years to come. He and Elayne run a great shop.

Car needed brakes bad. They told me to bring it down and later in the afternoon I picked it up and drove on. No we'll look at it, come back we have to order parts etc., they took care of it honestly, quickly and charged a fair and resonable price. Thank you

I started to cancel a driving trip until I was lucky enough to find ZP (and thanks Car Talk referrals for bolstering my confidence that an honest mechanic could be found!) - I had come from 2 unscrupulous mechanics, one I believe may have been good hearted but incompetent, the other, just primed for one of those undercover investigative reports. He was out for the price gouge and coupled it with one of those "I'm really scared for you to be driving this car in its current condition because you need to replace everything." Gus took a look at it and said what was really shot and what really had to be repaired plus checked out other things to give me a safe car for my trip. These people are great, and after what I've been through, it feels like a gift. A good man may be hard to find, but a good mechanic - even harder! We're fortunate to have Gus, Elayne and the guys around.

Gus and Elaine are great. They've always honored my extended warranty that I bought from the internet, no matter how inconvenient the company has made it for them. Their work is great, their personalities are true NY. This is not a convenient neighborhood for me to go to from where I live, but I trust them, and they really stand behind their work. I've never had a problem with them in the 8 years I've been going to them.

ZP Auto is one of those "old time" auto garages that you could find in the fifties in your"neighborhood" .We feel we can trust them to do only what's needed, and at fair prices, and with extreme competency. Remember the old days when doctors made house calls? Well, they may not make house calls but they have great bedside manner combined with real talent. They also never say die unless a situation is "hopeless". Thanks to Gus and Elaine and their great mechanics we've gotten the maximum amount of years out of our combination business/personal city vehicles since 1989.Their candid, cut to the chase no frills needed service is A-1 in our books.They are lifesavers-right up there with our accountant and family doctor!

Nice funky shop. I walked by for 10yrs, and always saw cool foreign cars, muscle cars and even a jetski. Well, i finally broke down and took in my BMW 635 CSI which was making all manner of groanning/whinning noise. They knew the car cold, fixed my power steering/alt/etc belts while other shops recommended the PS pump, clutch, braker cylinder be swapped! Also, put in my new BMW roundels on all 4 wheels. 24hr turnaround, called 2 times w/updates Shoulda come here long ago!!!

Now I can add another to my list of why I live in the best of all possible cities in the world- Pino's Meat Market, Joe's Dairy and ZP Auto Inc. I was told what the problem(s)were, I only fixed a couple 'cause I want to go back. KNOWLEDGEGABLE and FAIR and EXPERTS.

OMG!! Gus and Elayne are truly a godsend. I've been leery of taking my car just anywhere here in NYC, since moving here six years ago, for fear of getting totally soaked and hosed. Well ZP Auto is really about as good as it gets. I was initially taking the car to their shop for a repair that I had called Tom and Ray about, that I knew may or may not be costly, depending on what was really wrong. Yep, it was potentially very costly, as ZP figured out for me. As it turns out the repair was just not worth it, due to the car being thirteen years old and ZP was very kind and honest, so much so as to talking me out of the repair. The car had a couple other issues that they quickly figured out, repaired and I was on my way in no time as well. I will not stop singing the praises of this shop and will keep going there as long as I live here in New York. Truly great people! Very fair, honest, fast and they know their stuff!

I have been going to Gus for repairs long before the place was called ZP. My last experience was a disaster and I suspect the reason is that Gus delegates to assistants now more than in the past. I had a minor fuel leak in my main fuel line leading into the carb. The car ran perfectly, just dripped fuel onto the exhaust manifold - somewhat unsafe. I went to ZP, they charged me $250 and the bill showed the carb had been removed and cleaned. I drove to a gas station and the car flooded. After letter her dry out, she started but ran terribly. I nearly stalled in city traffic a dozen times. Returned the car to ZP - initially Elaine was cool and admitted that they screw up sometimes. But after paying for a new fuel filter, the car ran just as badly as before - constantly flooding and stalling. They hadn't fixed it at all. Finally, went to another garage, where they said the fuel line was still leaking and the carburetor float needed adjusting. They actually fixed the problem. Sadly, I'll never go back to ZP.

I've been bringing my car to ZP for years and have never had a problem. They are beyond awesome, they fix the problem right away, give me my car back the same day and have fair prices. If there is any problem at all, I just bring it right back and they fix it without any hassle. I've sent numerous people to them as well and they're all happy, which considering this is a mechanic shop we're talking about is pretty amazing!

I just bought a used car (a 1982 Mercedes 300d) and it was running - but there were obviously some things that needed to be checked out. And it's a diesel, so I needed to find a shop that was familiar with diesels. I found ZP here in cartalk.com and made an appointment for the next day. Gus and Elaine are awesome. They are friendly and willing to take the time to discuss your car. They understood my immediate priority was making the car safe and they found a few things that they said needed to be done and charged me a fair price and did the work quickly. No hassle. They are always available for questions and never seem like you're wasting their time. I would go back to them, and I recommend them.

Fairly priced, excellent communication, fast turn around. A-OK

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