Someone near West Palm Beach Fl please recommend a/c shop
 

Hello: I need some a/c work done. I need a new drier and two switches installed. That means I need the system evacuated and recharged with R12. I do not want to convert to anything else. Please recommend someone in the West Palm Beach to Stuart area.
Thank you in advance.

Well, seeing as no one could recommend a local shop to do a/c work, I went out and purchased my own a/c recovery/recharge unit and got my 609 certification. Now I just need to learn how to use the unit.
I know some of you professionals just cringed, but I'm going to learn one way or another. I figure, hey, if I damage anything it's only money. And money is what I feel like I throw away anytime I pay someone else to work on the car for me. The fact is, I became quite perturbed after calling shop after shop and getting the same story: "You can't find R12 anywhere." Then came the per pound prices for it from $65 all the way up to a whopping $97! Add the labor to do the "job" and we're at ridiculous levels. R12 is all over the place. I can purchase it for $15 per pound all day.
One guy quoted me $90 for a drier. I asked him who the manufacturer was and where was it manufactured. He didn't know. He said it didn't matter. I kid you not. I know the Chinese made drier he was going to put in. I can buy it for $22 shipped to my door. He wanted $50 each for the switches. Again, Chinese ones that I can purchase for $14 each.
I told another guy specifically what I wanted done and asked how much he wanted to do exactly what I asked him to do. He said it was $85 to look at it. No, I don't want you to look at it, I want X, Y and Z done. He doesn't work that way he told me.
I guess the bottom line, finally, is that I'm driven to do things myself because of the ignorance, arrogance and greed that I've run into during my quest to restore my car to original specs. I know if the local knuckleheads that work on these cars can do it, I surely can.
With the help of all of the generous posters hereon I've gained a lot of wisdom and confidence.
I sincerely thank all of you and the owner(s) of this site.

i think you are making the right move...

job shouldn't be too difficult

Yeah, I think so too.
I see you're a neighbor. The door is open if you ever want to stop by. Send me a PM.