Lude Generation

http://www.repairanycar.com/

Still early days (the number of fixed price options is a bit limited) but it's a body lemonade easy way of getting quotes from some local garages!
I just ran a comparison price for front wheel bearing on the C5 (doesn't need one, just picked that at random ) and got prices ranging from £165 to £242. And that's all from independent garages (which is nice - big up the independents) and from ones I wouldn't even have heard of/considered.

Nice idea!

http://mycarneedsa.com/

heard this one on the radio yesterday too

Thats cool. I wish there were more 'rent a bay DIY' garages with lifts etc though.

Suprised they fixed price what with the standard old standby of ''well mate, we couldn't get a couple of bolts off, took us an extra hour''

^ That reminds me of the quote I got for replacing a front ARB bracket on my mk2 Scirocco - was around £100 in labour, with the obligatory 'that's a very old car, so it's likely the bolts are rusted and will snap, requiring additional labour'

Did it myself on the drive, took 30 mins max (made slower due to being on the floor, rather than a nice hydraulic ramp) and was only 2 bolts to remove, which when undone carefully gave me no trouble.

I suspect those same bolts would have snapped had I gone to a garage... Call me a cynic

well they dont care about your car you do so will ease them out they will stick an air gun on them

Well where I run my valet bay is based in a garage and all you hear from the mechanics is "drokk it it ain't my car " needless to say they don't work on my cars

Thats sometimes the better way to choose a garage.

Go for the one with least swearing and flying tools

Keep away from Thetford then?

I never met a nice one.