Nelson’s Autobody Closed

Was just told by my daughter and am profoundly saddened,  though understand 

Good honest people and a joy to deal with…

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

What a bummer - Dave was the best!

Scully said:

Was just told by my daughter and am profoundly saddened,  though understand 

Good honest people and a joy to deal with…

Permanently???

Damn.  

I will miss him too. Dave is great ... good work and always honest. I am not surprised, and totally understand, but will miss him.

Do they own the building?

We are losing every single business that made maplewood special. Both Dave and Karl are excellent examples of honest mechanics, a rarity these days. I think Dave owns the building. With both Toomeys and Nelson’s gone, where is the other place to get your car taken care of? Please don’t suggest that delta gas station…

Jaytee said:

We are losing every single business that made maplewood special. Both Dave and Karl are excellent examples of honest mechanics, a rarity these days. I think Dave owns the building. With both Toomeys and Nelson’s gone, where is the other place to get your car taken care of? Please don’t suggest that delta gas station…

DeFinis.

joan_crystal said:

Scully said:

Was just told by my daughter and am profoundly saddened,  though understand 

Good honest people and a joy to deal with…

Permanently???

Yes - end of the month.

Jaytee said:

We are losing every single business that made maplewood special. Both Dave and Karl are excellent examples of honest mechanics, a rarity these days. I think Dave owns the building. With both Toomeys and Nelson’s gone, where is the other place to get your car taken care of? Please don’t suggest that delta gas station…

We use CP Auto (Boyden Ave/Jacoby St.) We had been going there for years when it was "Boyden Friendly" run by Tony. Tony took Chris on a number of years ago and then Tony retired more recently. Chris has taken it over and seems to be providing the same great service there, so we are still there also. From talking to others over the years, it always seemed to be a similar level of service as Nelson's.  I also see many raves about Maplewood Tire on Facebook.

sac said:

We use CP Auto (Boyden Ave/Jacoby St.) We had been going there for years when it was "Boyden Friendly" run by Tony. Tony took Chris on a number of years ago and then Tony retired more recently. Chris has taken it over and seems to be providing the same great service there, so we are still there also. From talking to others over the years, it always seemed to be a similar level of service as Nelson's.  I also see many raves about Maplewood Tire on Facebook.

I have been using Maplewood tire since I moved here in 1990. Had a different owner then, didn’t have good experiences with him. When he sold the business I started going back and it’s been great. as they’re closer for me. But I was thinking about the people who live closer to the village that will be looking for alternatives. Maplewood tire sometimes are swamped with work.

Whenever the subject of car repairs/service comes up, a number of area places get high praise on MOL.  Do a search.  I have long used Palumbo's near Millburn Shoprite though sadly Chris Palumbo passed away last year and it's been taken over by I think a nephew who has long worked there.  Haven't been there in the post-Chris era.  Chris was great.  Did not push for expensive repairs and often did little things for free.  Hope the tradition continues.

joan_crystal

Permanently???

Yes

yahooyahoo said:

Jaytee said:

We are losing every single business that made maplewood special. Both Dave and Karl are excellent examples of honest mechanics, a rarity these days. I think Dave owns the building. With both Toomeys and Nelson’s gone, where is the other place to get your car taken care of? Please don’t suggest that delta gas station…

DeFinis.

Frank's our guy, too. Never tried to upsell us on anything we didn't need, never installed a temp solution. Solid guy and solid work.

Jaytee said:

I have been using Maplewood tire since I moved here in 1990. Had a different owner then, didn’t have good experiences with him. When he sold the business I started going back and it’s been great. as they’re closer for me. But I was thinking about the people who live closer to the village that will be looking for alternatives. Maplewood tire sometimes are swamped with work.

I brought my car (a 2017 BMW) there for a starter.  Wanted to charge me 1,350 for the part.  I looked it up online and found it for under 500 (new, OEM same part). Told them so and asked to see their invoice for the part. "They don't do that."

I don't mind a reasonable markup, but more than double?

Won't go there again.

Stopped by to thank Dave for all his service on our 2009 Civic, which he checked out for us before we bought it used shortly after moving here 13 years ago. Another pair of customers were there with the same intentions; we were apparently part of a steady stream, which was nice to know.

I asked Dave if he was referring customers to another local mechanic. He said the one they had in mind had beaten him to retirement, so no, at least not at this time.

Jaytee said:

I think Dave owns the building.

Dave said he had considered cutting back on his workload in order to remain open but wouldn’t have been able to keep affording the rent. That suggested to me that he doesn’t own the building.

bub said:

Whenever the subject of car repairs/service comes up, a number of area places get high praise on MOL.  Do a search.  I have long used Palumbo's near Millburn Shoprite though sadly Chris Palumbo passed away last year and it's been taken over by I think a nephew who has long worked there.  Haven't been there in the post-Chris era.  Chris was great.  Did not push for expensive repairs and often did little things for free.  Hope the tradition continues.

The Chris of CP auto is the son of the owner of Palumbo's in Millburn. (I didn't know his father's first name, but now I gather it is also Chris.) When Chris Junior was just getting CP Auto started, I inquired about state inspection and he wasn't yet licensed for that and sent me to Palumbo's saying that his father could help me out (and he did.)

Palumbo's.... Ralph and Benny ran it for years.  

I grew up a block from their shop. My memory is, when you had a flat tire on your bike, you took it there and the guys would put a patch on it for free.

Up the road was Mattie's Millburn Bicycle Shop. He would fix things. His M.O. was to fix things when possible. Not replace them. His business lasted for at least 40 years.

Nelson's will be missed. I hope Dave has a long and healthy retirement. He has earned it.

When Nelson's was too busy we've had excellent experiences at both Maplewood Tire and A&J Automotive.

I had a good experience at Palumbo's today.  I was getting errant warning lights on the dash of of my old car.  Turns out it just needed brake fluid.  They added it and did not charge me.  Chris was like that too.  Would not charge for small things.