I’m not a mechanic and when I came to start my MG Roadster, which has been languishing in a Rye garage for far too long, guess what, yes, it wouldn’t start. It wasn’t a flat battery, but something inside the noisy end of the vehicle which needed the attention of an expert, and sadly that wasn’t me, so I made arrangements with a local garage in Rye Harbour, the MOT Centre who I knew specialised in classic cars and who would get it back on the road for me.
The problem was getting it there, the only option being to get a recovery vehicle to collect it, but trying to find one locally is not easy until someone recommended I speak to Alan Bennett at Harbour Autos. I’m glad I did. He didn’t know me from Adam but couldn’t have been more helpful. He’s what you might call ‘old school’ and having been a skilled mechanic all his life it was obvious he knew his stuff. As agreed, and smack on time he arrived with his recovery vehicle (below), loaded up the MG and delivered it safely to its destination, simple !
I got the chance to talk to Alan, about how he’s been working on all types of vehicles for decades, including commercial vehicles up to 3.5 tons, he’s a qualified MOT emissions mechanic among other skills, and his well equipped workshop includes the latest diagnostic equipment and software. There seems nothing this man can’t tackle and seeing the reviews on his Facebook page proves that his customers are very happy with his service and his competitive prices.
As his signage states, he is able to carry out all kinds of vehicle repairs including clutches, brakes, exhausts, welding and diagnostics. As well as vehicle recovery he is also happy to repair “ride on” mowers and can generally be found getting his hands dirty under a vehicle six days a week starting from 7:30 in the morning until 4:30 in the afternoon.
If you’re passing, do drop in and say hello, he’s a busy man but always spares the time to talk and give advice. Harbour Autos is at Unit 27, Rye Harbour Industrial Park, Rye Harbour, TN31 7TE. Contact Alan on 07712 884777 or by email on ryeharbourautos@gmail.com, but do check out his Facebook feedback if you want honest opinions from many satisfied customers and, from my personal experience, I would have no hesitation in recommending him or returning in the future.
Image Credits: Nick Forman .