Business & Tech

Word of Mouth Brings Steady Work to Cranston Garage

DC Automotive is coming up on 10 years in business. The shop has built a following over the years, including among classic car owners.

DC Automotive is coming up on its 10 year anniversary fixing cars in Cranston.

And boats, and Ski Doos, lawn mowers, weed whackers.

"If it's got a motor or takes fuel, we'll work on it," said Darren Cousins, owner of the Comstock Parkway shop. "Computer diagnostics, A/C, we can do everything."

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DC Automotive is the type of garage that you come to after getting a good recommendation from a friend of a friend. Cousins said he doesn't advertise and all of his business has been by word of mouth.

People keep coming back because Cousins said he takes a simple and straightforward approach to auto repair.

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"No matter what, I tell them how much it's going to cost to fix it," Cousins said. "There's enough money to be made being legit so that I don't have to try and rip people off."

Cousins said business continues to be good even though the economy is still not that great and was really bad not that long ago.

"People are holding on to stuff longer," which is good for the auto repair business, Cousins said, since people tend to take new cars to dealerships, not small shops like DC Automotive. 

But people are also putting off repairs because money is tight.

"So before, someone might say 'yeah, go ahead and do it' and now they're saying 'let's hold off a little bit,'" Cousins said.

While the Cash for Clunkers program was heralded as an economic boost for the auto industry and a force for improving the nation's average fuel economy as many old cars were taken off the road, it has hurt local repair shops.

"It took a lot of cars off the road that could have been bought," Cousins said. "It put people into new cars who probably couldn't afford the cars."

Still, Cousins said he has a reliable stream of regular customers who've come to expect quality work, quality parts and a job done right, he said.

One thing the shop won't do is a transmission rebuild. That specialized work is best sent to the tranny shop. He also won't do much body work, since his relatively modest space doesn't have room for a spray booth.

But he's got enough space to contain three lifts and Cousins said he plans to add two more.

Even in just nine years in business, Cousins has dealt with a changing auto industry. Cars are increasingly complicated as manufacturers cram more and more technology into even the most basic commuter econobox. It costs in the tens of thousands to keep his computer diagnostic hardware updated.

But the investment is worth it. It means he can work on even brand new cars and his hourly rate in the $70 per hour range is lower than many dealerships. 

"As long as you keep the receipts, you don't have to go to the dealership for routine maintenance," Cousins said.

One thing you probably wouldn't take to the dealership is a classic car, and that's where Cousins' business excels.

"It started with one guy coming in with a classic car, he liked the work I did. Another guy at a car show asks him where he got the work done, and he comes in," Cousins said. 

Cousins now has a base of classic car owning customers who count on him to keep their rides lubed, tuned and ready for the road. On a recent hot afternoon, one of Cousins' customers was picking up a 68 Dodge Charger R/T that had an oil leak.

The leak got fixed without having to replace the original catch can. Another was cured with some simple bolt tightening. Up next will be a new dash pad and some other work. The Charger is now ready for a road trip.

Cousins' recommendation? "Go on your trip, then bring it back the beginning of the next season before you take your car our, maybe next Mach, let's get it down here and do what we gotta do."

You can follow DC Automotive on Facebook by clicking HERE.

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