A few weeks ago I called Darryl@Albany Speed Shop to get some info and maybe set up an appointment for a full alignment. My main issues were whether or not the car could get on the rack, if these guys were going to be the typical know-it-all, listen-to-no-one techs, and whether they’d allow me to sit in the car during the process. I’m a big guy and wanted to make sure the setup was spot on so I could effectively make changes in the future. I was assured all of my needs would be met, and scheduled an appointment for an alignment a few weeks ago.
I showed up at the shop around 3:30 and after being introduced to Darryl, and consequently the tech that would be working on my car (SAABOOST on shift) I handed off my keys, and was brought back into the shop where I was allowed to observe the car being put on the rack (a safe distance from the rack itself-safety first of course :tongue). The guys took great care to make sure the car cleared the whole way up, which meant removing various parts of the rack as well as basically inching the car along on 2x4s for the full length of the Hunter Laser Alignment Rack.
Great care was taken mounting and zeroing out the “sensors” (the actual name escapes me) as they were mounted to the wheels, and after seeing where everything was at as the car sat, I gave them the specifications I wanted and they told me to hop in the car. I shot the shit with the techs while they were finessed the angles to my spec, and was relieved by the fact that they’re not the usual thick headed dipshit morons that alot of techs are. They took great care in getting camber and toe where I wanted it, and I was given a print out of the original, and current alignment settings. I then hopped out to watch them pull the car off the rack and talk a bit with Darryl. He’s got a lot of very cool ideas for the area and I hope they all pan out well for him.
After much coaxing from the techs in the shop, I waited until Darryl wasn’t looking and violated his back parking lot with a quick figure-8 or three, though he caught me and seemed impressed. Won’t happen again Darryl!
All-in-all it was the experience I’ve been looking for from an alignment for a while, usually you just hand your keys off to one guy, who gives them to another guy, who tosses your car on a rack and aligns it to ‘close enough’ to factory spec, and looks at you like you have two heads if you suggest your own specs. Not only that but you don’t have to sit in a waiting room flipping through year old magazines wondering how the car you’ve put so much time into is being treated. I’ll definitely be a returning customer and look forward to seeing some of Darryl’s ideas coming to fruition.