Not just a garage

I’ve been working on cars on and off since I was a boy. Over the decades the costs and complexities of modern motoring have increased hugely; car owners, whether or not they are interested in cars, are increasingly faced with expensive bills and little or no information concerning the work done and why it was done.

I provide a much more personal service to enable owners to become empowered. You, the customer, decide how much you want to be involved.

For more see our Community Page.

Options

• You can use Nagara Automotive just like a regular garage, drop your car off, have the work done and receive a detailed itemized invoice.

• Or, for a lower hourly rate, you can help with the work or even do the work yourself in my workshop with me on hand to help if you need it.

• Or I can teach you to do the work, or aspects of it, either as a formal class or as we go along.

• In all cases I can source the parts for you or you can bring them with you

  Click here for prices.

Experience and History

I’ve worked on mechanical things for over 50 years, taught by my grandfather who was trained as tool maker, owned bicycle shops and made the machine tools for Vickers in the 2nd World War. I worked for many years as a designer and writer then qualified as a mechanic and welder in the 1980s. I had my own small classic car workshop and also worked free-lance for a well known Aston Martin specialist. In 1990 I gained a first class science degree and spent the next couple of decades working as an environmental consultant for the public and private sector specializing in energy physics. I have been at my current workshop in Buckfast, South Devon for over 3 years undertaking work for customers and working on my own project, the Nagara MG Midget 1500 Continental.

 On a tight budget? Older car motoring can make financial and environmental sense.

Though some older cars have poor fuel consumption compared to new cars, parts are often cheap and their embodied energy has already been amortized over many years: that environmental damage has already been done and buying a new car won’t undo it, it will just add to the problem. Scrapping cars is also very consumptive of energy and resources even when the materials are recycled. All motoring causes environmental damage, but getting around in rural areas on almost empty buses does too. I’m all for public transport, walking and cycling when possible.