Services
Red Car Garage LLC is an independent auto repair shop specializing in classic cars, with a particular focus on vehicles from the 1980s and 1990s. We diagnose, repair, and maintain these cars for retail customers. Work is performed on site at our shop by our own technicians.
Cars of this era sit in an awkward spot: too old for a dealer to still care about, too electronically complex for a shop that only knows carburetors. They run early engine management and OBD-I systems, and their most common failures are age-related — perished rubber, brittle insulation, corroded grounds and connectors. We keep the tooling and the reference material for these systems, and we are used to sourcing parts that are no longer stocked.
What we work on
- Diagnostics — drivability faults, OBD-I and early engine management, electrical and charging issues
- Fuel systems — early electronic fuel injection and carburetors, pumps, lines, and tanks
- Engine service — timing components, cooling systems, belts, gaskets, and seals
- Brakes — pads, rotors, calipers, lines, and fluid service
- Suspension and steering — shocks, struts, bushings, alignment-related repairs
- Wiring and electrical — harness repair, grounds, connectors, and aging insulation
- Scheduled maintenance — oil and filter changes, fluid service, inspections
We do not sell vehicles, offer financing, or perform warranty work on behalf of a manufacturer.
Pricing
We charge for the time we actually spend on your car, plus parts. There is no diagnostic fee and no separate charge for looking at the vehicle — diagnosis is labor like any other, billed at the same rate.
- Labor
- $100 per hour, billed as straight time for the hours actually worked on your vehicle. Your invoice itemizes the time spent on each operation.
- Parts
- Billed at our cost plus a standard markup. The part number, brand, and price for every part appear as a separate line on your estimate and invoice.
- Shop supplies and disposal
- Itemized separately when they apply, such as fluid disposal or hazardous waste handling.
- Taxes
- Sales tax is applied at the rate required in Texas and shown as its own line.
How we estimate, and why it is an estimate
You receive a written estimate listing parts and labor before we start. We do not begin work without your authorization, and we do not charge you for work you did not authorize.
We build the labor side of that estimate from published book times for the operation. On an older car, book time is a starting point rather than a promise. A fastener that comes out in two minutes on a new vehicle can take an hour on one that has spent thirty years in the weather, and problems that are invisible until the car is apart are normal at this age. Because we bill straight time, a job that goes faster than book costs you less — and one that runs into seized hardware or a previous owner's improvised repair can run longer.
So the estimate is our honest projection, not a fixed price. What protects you is the authorization rule below, not the estimate itself.
If the work runs beyond the estimate
If we find additional work is needed, or the authorized work is running materially longer than estimated, we stop and contact you before continuing. You get the revised figure and the reason for it, and work resumes only after you approve. If you would rather stop there, you pay for the hours already worked and any parts already fitted, and we return the car.
Your final invoice will not exceed the authorized estimate without your prior approval.
Contact
Questions about an estimate, an invoice, or a repair in progress? Email is the best way to contact us.
- Address
- Houston, TX
- sales@redcargarage.com
Refund & Cancellation Policy
Cancelling before work begins
You may cancel an authorized repair at any time before work starts, at no charge. Contact us at sales@redcargarage.com to cancel. If you paid a deposit and no work has been performed and no parts ordered, we refund the deposit in full.
Cancelling after work begins
If you cancel after work has started, you are responsible for labor already performed and for any parts already installed or specially ordered for your vehicle. We will provide an itemized accounting of those charges and refund the remainder of any deposit.
Diagnosis
We do not charge a separate diagnostic fee. Diagnosis is billed as labor at our hourly rate, and like other labor it is not refundable once performed — the time has been spent whether or not you go ahead with the repair. If you decide not to proceed, you owe only the hours actually worked.
Completed repairs
Completed labor is not refundable, because it cannot be returned. If a repair we performed does not resolve the problem it was intended to fix, contact us and we will re-inspect the vehicle at no charge. Repairs found to be defective in our workmanship are corrected at no cost to you.
Parts returns
Uninstalled parts in original condition may be returned within 30 days for a refund, less any restocking fee charged by our supplier. Special-order parts, electrical parts, and installed parts are not returnable. Parts carry the warranty offered by their manufacturer; we pass that warranty through to you.
How to request a refund
Email sales@redcargarage.com with your invoice number and the reason for the request. We respond within two business days. Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method within 5–10 business days.
Disputes
If you disagree with a charge, contact us first at sales@redcargarage.com — most billing questions are resolved the same day.
This policy does not limit any rights granted to you by the consumer protection laws of Texas.