http://www.brakestopautoservices.com

OCTOBER 28, 2011 AUTO CARE GUIDE THEPRESS.NET | 3B

Brake Stop brings car trouble to a halt

As new cars become unaf-

fordable luxuries and gas

prices soar, car owners pay

greater attention to keeping their

older vehicles in repair. Carl Watkins,

owner of Brake Stop Auto Services,

aims to provide service “at dealer

levels, without dealer costs.”

Furnished with comfortable couches, beautiful fi sh tanks and a large TV, the waiting room at Brake Stop provides an enjoyable place to wait while repair jobs are completed. Watkins maintains the décor of his shop in order to make his customers feel comfortable. “What people perceive at the front door is how you’re going to treat their car,” he said.

After learning the basics of auto repair from his father, who worked in a motor pool and helped friends and family with their own vehicles, Watkins began working in the auto industry. He appreciated the high-quality work but was distressed by how much car maintenance cost. “I’ve seen people sitting in dealerships crying because they didn’t have the money to fi x it,” he remembered. He set out to correct this, eventually starting

his own company, One Stop Auto, which became a big success. He sold the business after undergoing back surgery, but opened Brake Stop in 2008 and continued to provide the level of service for which he was known.

Brake Stop works on all makes and

models, and provides services from oil changes to engine replacements. “I like solving people’s problems,” Watkins said. “You name it; we do it.” Watkins continu-ally educates himself to make sure his skills and tools stay up-to-date, and even

performs repairs on boats, jet skis and motorcycles.

One of Watkins’s highest priorities is decreasing the amount of time a customer

A M Y C L A I R E

see Brake Stop page 4B

Assistant manager Rob Combs performs a 100,000-mile checkup on a customer’s car.

Photo by Amy Claire

4B | THEPRESS.NET AUTO CARE GUIDE OCTOBER 28, 2011

VornhagenBody & Paint 600 Harvest Park Dr.

Brentwood

(925) 516-1969

www.vornhagenbodypaint.com

Open Monday through

Friday 8am to 5pm

“There is a big difference between

shops. Any shop can give you a

lower estimate by leaving some-

thing out or overlooking parts. Do

not assume you get the quality of

workmanship you want from the

shop offering the lowest estimate.”

- Vornhagen Body & Paint

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Take care of your Take care of your carcar… bring it to us… bring it to us

Your Mercedes & BMW SpecialistYour Mercedes & BMW Specialist

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All Major and Minor Service

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9010 Brentwood Blvd. Ste G.(next to the Police Station)

925.513.7581www.platinumtint.net

Lifetime Warranty on tinting

22 000002010 G

OLD MEDALAWARD

must wait. “Ninety-fi ve percent of our service is same-day,” he said. For longer repair jobs, Brake Stop offers a shuttle service so that customers can run errands, plus loaner cars for multi-day jobs.

One recent customer came to Watkins when a piece of wood broke through his front bumper on the freeway and damaged the radiator, air conditioning and other systems. “We solved it all in one shot,” Watkins said proudly. While he strives to offer competitive pricing, he recognizes that customers sometimes can’t afford to repair everything. For such situations, he prioritizes the repairs by how necessary they are to the car’s ability to function.

Watkins encourages people to practice

preventive maintenance such as regular oil changes and tune-ups, and to fi x problems, such as squealing brakes, as soon as possi-ble. “The rule of thumb is that the louder it is, the more it costs,” he said. His custom-ers appreciate his work; some travel from several towns away for a simple oil change. “They trust us,” Watkins said, attributing his popularity to his honesty in his work. “I have phenomenal repeat business.”

Brake Stop, located at 560 Valdry Court, Suite B-6 in Brentwood, is open Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sundays by appointment only. Call 925-634-3001 or visit www.brakestopautoservices.com. Franchise opportunities are available.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Brake Stop from page 3B

Brake Stop owner Carl Watkins uses a scanner to diagnose a car’s check-engine light.

Photo by Amy Claire

OCTOBER 28, 2011 AUTO CARE GUIDE THEPRESS.NET | 5B

Valuable service for vintage vehicles

Larry Clark was bitten by the

automotive bug at a young

age. “I’ve always been into

cars. I bought my fi rst one when I was

14.” Clark repaired his 1947 Ford Coupe

himself, working in his father’s barn.

From that point on, he made a hobby

of buying old cars, repairing them and

selling them again.

After working at several dealerships and moving his way up through the ranks, Clark’s wife suggested he open his own repair shop. “She said, ‘Why don’t you hang a shingle?’ So I did!”

In 2006 he opened Vintage Transmission and Gear as a specialty repair shop for antique cars. “They’re a unique experience,” he said. “They smell different. They drive different.” Clark performs every type of service, from restorations to modern-izations, and works on both American and foreign cars.

Frequently, Clark fi nds that a part he needs to complete a restoration is no longer manufactured. In such cases, he uses his professional network to locate parts from

secondary dealers. If he can’t fi nd one, he makes it himself. “Most auto repair shops don’t want anything to do with old cars because they take too long,” Clark said. “There’s a lot of research. I spend a lot of hours chasing stuff down.”

Customers also bring in vintage cars to get newer systems installed, such as power steering, air conditioning and seat belts. One recent customer got an automatic transmis-sion installed in his 1951 Packard because he was no longer able to reach the clutch.

Clark enjoys the variety of his work. “Every day you come to work, you could be doing anything from an engine replacement to a brake alignment.”

Mechanic Doug Okazaki works on the valves of a 1934 Ford Cabriolet.

Photo by Amy Claire

22 000002010 G

OLD MEDALAWARD

see Vintage page 6B

A M Y C L A I R E

6B | THEPRESS.NET AUTO CARE GUIDE OCTOBER 28, 2011

22 000002010 G

OLD MEDALAWARD

22 888882008 G

OLD MEDALAWARD

205 Oak St.Brentwood

(Corner of 2nd & Oak)

516-0417www.kendallautomotivebrentwood.com

• Brake Service• Fuel Injection Service• Tune-ups

• Air Conditioning• Shocks & Struts• General Maintenance

• Manufacture Recommended Service30,60,90,000 mile

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OLD MEDALAWARD

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As Clark’s business grew, his customers began asking him to service their newer cars as well. “People who have early cars also have late models,” he said. He now works on modern vehicles in addition to vintage ones, though his shop is still usually full of classic cars. He also worked on a semi-professional dirt track racing pit crew as the repairman for motors and transmissions. Comprising more than 500 parts, a transmission is “probably the most complicated thing in your car,” Clark said.

When Clark talks about his work, his obvious love for vintage vehicles shines

through. He enjoys the sensory experience – the feel, the smell and the sound – of driv-ing an older car. He also enjoys the enthusi-asm of other drivers when he takes one of his own older cars on the road. “As you drive them, people wave.”

Vintage Transmission and Gear, located at 560 Valdry Court, Suite B-7 in Brentwood, is open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturdays by appointment only. Call 925-513-4095, e-mail vintagetrans@aol.com or visit www.vintagetransmissionandgear.com.

To comment, visit www.thepress.net.

Vintage from page 5B

Photo by Amy Claire

Vintage Transmissions owner Larry Clark sits in the driver’s seat of his 1947 Ford.

OCTOBER 28, 2011 AUTO CARE GUIDE THEPRESS.NET | 7B

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Hot rodders wound up four days of fun cruising the San Francisco Bay Area’s automotive hot spots with a visit to Brentwood last month. There they checked out East Bay Muscle Cars. A precur-

sor to The Goodguys’ 25th West Coast Nationals, the tour included a look at owner Steve Keefer’s 1970 Mustang and several other projects. More than 200 cars came by, some of which are seen above.

Hot rod heaven

8B | THEPRESS.NET AUTO CARE GUIDE OCTOBER 28, 2011

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Gadgets more popularthan car safety features

Whether you’re plan-

ning a short trip to the

store or a long ride

across the country, getting behind

the wheel is the easy part. Staying

safe while driving, on the other

hand, takes more work.

However, when it comes to investing in technology that’s designed to make the driving experience safer, Americans admit they favor increased convenience over driver and passenger safety, accord-

ing to a MetLife Auto & Home American Safety Pulse Poll.

“The most recognized and sought-after technology features tend to be those that promote style over substance, when in reality, it’s the less glamorous features like electronic stability control that make for safer vehicles,” said Bill Moore, president of MetLife Auto & Home. “By increasing their understand-ing of the available safety features in today’s vehicles, consumers can make more informed choices about which cars provide the best safeguards to help

see Gadgets page 9B

A recent poll showed drivers were more interested in tech gadgets such as the GPS device, above, than in technology that makes their car safer to drive.

Photo courtesy of ARA Content

OCTOBER 28, 2011 AUTO CARE GUIDE THEPRESS.NET | 9B

Manual & Auto Transmissions • Classic Cars • General Repair

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Debt Settlement vs. Bankruptcyby Joan Grimes, Esq.

– Advertisement

Clients come into my offi ce every week saying that they are in a debt settlement plan, BUT are now being sued by a creditor or they have received a 1099c income statement from a creditor that was included in the debt settlement plan. How can this be?

First, just because you are in a debt settlement plan, it does not mean that a creditor cannot sue you on account. It happens every day. In some cases, the lawsuit is because a debt could not be included in the settlement because a creditor would not agree. In other cases, the reason for the lawsuit was that the creditor was not receiving payments from the debt settlement plan in an amount that would satisfy the creditor.

Second, just because you are in a debt settlement plan, it does not mean that the creditor will not issue you a 1099c for that portion of the debt which is forgiven. In fact, the IRS REQUIRES creditors to issue a 1099c to individuals where more than $600 in debt is forgiven. Th erefore, if you settle with a VISA for $5,000 on a $50,000 bill, you will receive a $45,000 1099c which will be considered income to you and will be taxed at your current tax rate.

Th ird, just because you are in a debt settlement/consolidation plan, it does not mean that your credit will not aff ected or that creditors will stop calling you. Creditors can still contact you for the collection of debts they are owed unless or until you fi le bankruptcy. Also, a debt settlement program will impact your credit in the future and have long-term side eff ects because you will have late payments and even when you settle, your credit report will not show that the account was paid in full.

Debt settlement plans are alternatives to bankruptcy. If you do not qualify for

bankruptcy, then you will have no choice but to proceed with the settlement or consolidation plan. However, most people DO qualify for bankruptcy and in fact, most qualify for a Chapter 7 which requires NO payments back to creditors. Even, if you do not qualify for a Chapter 7, the payments in Chapter 13 will in almost every instance be signifi cantly lower than what you are paying to the debt settlement or consolidation company. Better yet, there will be no 1099c received aft er the bankruptcy because Bankruptcy is one of the exceptions to the debt forgiveness rule.

In conclusion, these are very tough times. You are not alone. If you are having trouble paying your bills as they come due, I recommend you seek legal counsel before you enter into a debt settlement or consolidation plan. Know all of your options and then you will be able to make the best decision for you and your family. I see people for a FREE 30 minute consultation at my offi ces locate in Walnut Creek, Antioch and Brentwood.

THIS INFORMATION IS NOT PROVIDED AS LEGAL ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT BE RELIED UPON IN MAKING ANY DECISION REGARDING A VOLUNTARY DEFAULT, SHORT SALE, FORECLOSURE OR BANKRUPTCY. THIS INFORMATION IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR OBTAINING TAX & LEGAL ADVICE REGARDING AN INDIVIDUAL SITUATION. GRIMESBKLAW.COM (925) 323-7772

© 2011 Joan Grimes

protect themselves and their families on the road.”

When asked about their familiarity with safety-oriented automobile features – some of which have been available for several years – survey respondents gave low marks:

Less than half of respondents were very or somewhat familiar with elec-tronic stability control, one of the most signifi cant safety advancements in recent years, which helps improve steering and prevent rollover accidents. Almost one-third had never heard of it at all.

Forty-four percent of respondents were very or somewhat familiar with brake as-sist, which applies additional brake force in the event of a sudden stop.

Forty-three percent were very or somewhat familiar with forward collision warning, which alerts the driver when sensors detect an imminent front-end impact.

Only 28 percent were very or some-what familiar with the lane-departure warning feature, which warns drivers when they drift out of the designated lane on a highway. Forty-one percent of respondents had never even heard of the feature.

In contrast, Americans gave much higher marks for convenience features such as GPS (90 percent) and bluetooth accessories (77 percent). And when asked which features they wanted in their next car, more people opted for

♦

♦

♦

♦

convenience features such as GPS (63 percent) over safety features such as electronic stability control (45 percent).

Research from the National Highway Traffi c Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety shows that electronic stability control signifi cantly decreases the likelihood of a single-vehicle crash by up to 59 percent and provides a 23-percent reduction in the probability of fatal crashes. Starting this year, electronic stability control is a standard feature on all new passenger cars in the U.S.

Although safety technology can help make America’s roadways safer, the fact remains: no amount of technology can replace the safety benefi t of an experi-enced driver behind the wheel.

“Auto manufacturers have made signifi cant strides with regard to safety innovations over the past 10 years, but the ultimate safety feature is an alert and prepared driver,” said Moore. “Technology advancements have greatly improved the comfort and safety of cars, but over-reliance on these features can be dangerous. Drivers need to remem-ber that it’s still up to them to operate their vehicles in a safe and responsible manner.”

To learn more about new auto technologies and how to make a posi-tive difference in your driving, consider the informational tips offered at www.metlife.com.

– Courtesy of ARA Content

Gadgets from page 8B