Going with what Chowpit said, the dealership environment is really bad. I worked for two MB dealerships prior to working for an excellent independent MB shop here in Cincinnati. I have my own workshop which is a small, two bay operation in Cleveland but I only do work on a by-appointment-only basis until I will be able to find some land on which to build a new building with a storefront. Until then, I still do some work at the independent here in Cinci, by the name of Precision Motorcars. Precision has been in business specializing exclusively in Mercedes-Benz for 30 years to date and they have a top reputation here in town. The onwer, Dan Fitzsimmons puts much money into the business constantly and has all the necessary equipment (Star Diagnostic, WIS, etc..) to work on ANY Mercedes, from the 1930's to current.

At my own garage, MB Classic Company, we specialize in vintage Mercedes, meaning that 1991 is our "newest" model year we will work on. Most of our work is restoration, so we might have a car in there for months at a time. I am not equipped with any type of computer for the new models and don't plan on being so equipped anytime soon. I have shop manuals and microfiche for everything from the 1940s to the last of the W126 S-Class (1991). A major focus of mine is my comprehensive collection of special Mercedes tools, many of which are no longer available. Certain things, like the old Beissbarth camber/caster gauges are my preferred method when setting suspensions up on cars from the 50's and so on. Additionally, we don't work on a time-pressing system (no restoration shop can) but at the same time still try to be as efficient as possible while turning out the very best work we can. My other thing that I am a stickler about is using only genuine Mercedes-Benz parts. The price might be higher but to me, using the right parts is what makes and keeps a Mercedes-Benz a true Mercedes-Benz.

We will do service work on cars newer than 1991, but when I say service, I mean strictly maintenance work. Again, I do get factory updates and bulletins for the new cars through a dealership connection and I do keep everything on file should we ever need to reference back to it but we try to keep away from the new "plastic" Mercedes. We will make exceptions though for customers who own a new MB in addition to a vintage model.

I absolutely love the business. It's tough work specializing in one marque, especially only vintage models of that marque but it's the one job I enjoy going to every day. As for our staff, it's myself and one other fellow. Our paintwork is subcontracted out to a Mercedes-Benz only bodyshop, we do bodywork in-house as well as all mechanical work and overhauls. Interior work is also subcontracted out. Aside from not having the space to have a stitch department and a spray booth at current, people with the skills necessary to perform these tasks are getting to be few and far between and those that I have interviewed did not meet my criteria for hiring them. When we open up the new shop in the new facility, we will have the capability to do everything in-house. Only thing I'd love to be able to have which most shops around here don't would be a chassis dyno. Perhaps....Perhaps...

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Regards,
Aaron