Good Evening all,

I live in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. I am hoping to get some recommendations for a mechanic in my general area. Lets say in the Jefferson, Berkeley and Morgan Counties of WV. Winchester Area of VA. and Hagerstown area of MD.

I drive an '85 F150 with an inline 6 and need someone who appreciates an older vehicle. In other words, 'ol Blue don't look like much but I want her worked on by someone who will do it right. I am not in a hurry since I have a back up vehicle so a reputable "mom and pop" operation is preferred over a dealership.

Basically what I want done is a complete Brake overhaul..Carbeurator/fuel system work and a tapping noise in my engine that needs to be diagnosed and fixed. There are other things on the list but these three items are at the top.

Thank you!

 

Can't help you with that, but I have a suggestion..

You might want to post that in the West Virginia Chapter if that is the area you are looking at..

You can find it here

West Virginia Chapter - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums

Also you should think of joining the chapter to meet others in your area..

 

After you find the right mechanic, I also have a suggestion. Learn how to do some of these repairs yourself. Not to put down your truck by any means (hey, one of my favorite daily drives is a '78 Mercury Zephyr) but fixing your truck is not rocket science. I'd suggest that you buy some basic hand tools of both SAE and metric sizes, a couple of different repair manuals, (factory ones are best) and start getting your hands dirty. (Or......buy some latex/nitrile gloves) You could also enroll in some part time auto repair classes in the evenings and weekends or job-shadow with a friend who is mechanically inclined. If you live in an apartment/condo where working on your own vehicle is not permitted, go to a buddy's house.
When you get it fixed, then you know it is done right. Plus, you might also save some $$$$$$$ and have more of a say so of the parts that go into your vehicle to get it fixed properly. BTW, one good thing about doing your brakes is that you can do one side at a time and by viewing the other side, you can make sure all parts are installed properly.