Vette Doctor
 

I have recently moved to Palm Bay and I need to get some work done on the Vette. Has anyone had any experiences with Vette Doctor in Melbourne? Maybe someone could also recommend a different place they have had good luck with.

Thanks

Hi Bob K,
 

Bob I have heard of the Vette Doctor, problem is, there are more than one.
The one in Melborne I'm not sure of. However, seeing as you live in Palm Bay area, here's a suggestion.
Take a drive to Eckler's Corvette there in Tititsville on US 1 , stop by, introduce yourself, and ask for their recommonding some one. Many Vetee shops that way. The majority of the Corvette people in this site are west Cost folks who share the site with everyone, and few from Central Florida like myself and east coast such as you.
Eckler's folks are pretty nice and very helping to the Corvette people.

Spice:welcome:

Thanks Spiceman. I have talked to Bob at Vette Doctor and he says he's authorized to do GM extended warranty work. I have already formed an opinion based on our conversation and I am going to meet with him this morning. I have an EBCM that went bad and I do my own tuning so I'm going to find out if this is going to be an issue. I think I have a better chance of getting it fixed by avoiding a dealership.

I'm also pretty sure that in Fl we can demand arbitration if GM refuses to repair it. Whatever happens, I will post the results. I think this forum is a great idea.

what do you own Bob? C5 or C6

It's a C5 Spice. '03 Anniversary Special. I bought new and have 40,000 on it. I will post a link to my website when this is settled. Right now I had to disable it for reasons you'll understand later. Are you familiar with Bradenton, PBIR, OSW? Hint, hint. ;)

PBIR yes, but OSW no.

I just got back from the Vette Doctor and so far so good. Bob seems very knowledgeable and has worked on Vettes for 22 years. He is also buried in Vettes. They are in the garage and parking lot which is a good sign.

I have an appointment for Tues morning. He has noted that the ECBM is bad and also the air conditioning display. Tuesday he will thoroughly go through the car and inspect it for other components that may be showing signs of needing repair. When he is done an adjuster will come in from GM and go over the car noting what parts need to be replaced. Hopefully at that time he will authorize Bob to make the repairs.

I will update this thread when the issues have been resolved or when the status has changed.

Thats a good sign Bob! You don't need no stinking ABS when playing the finish line though!!:D

You dirt bag, ya caught me. :D I found out Sat night I cannot shut off traction control. They say with a bad EBCM it doesn't work. That's BS. I'll tell you the story if I see you Sat. It was ugly.

I am going out right now to try pulling the fuses and see if that will disable it. If it doesn't, then I guess I won't be over for a couple of weeks. Maybe I'll call you for advice. I know how busy you are which is why I haven't called.

The only Vette Doctors are on Long island, NY. the doctors in NY do some awsome work...Carman & Dennis are great guys and the best at there craft! I never heard of the Vette Doctor in Melbourne?...I guess some use that name in other places in the country...I have lived in Port St Lucie for 8 years, about 40 minutes from Melbourne. Again, never heard of the vette Doctor up there?...:shrug01:

I know Carmen and Dennis. The Vette Doctors on Long Island have nothing to do with the Vette Doctor in Melbourne, which is who I was asking about. I agree, they have an excellent reputation and a lot of the guys racing at Englishtown have their work done there.

I dropped the car off at the Vette Doctor this morning. I just have a good feeling about this place. I will post the outcome.

Update
 

My baby spent the day with Bob, the Vette Doctor. He has inspected the car and has noted several items that will be repaired under my extended warranty. I originally took it in to have the EBCM repaired.

He is going to replace both seat tracks, oil pan gasket, rear right side seal and CV joint and of course the EBCM. This guy is buried in Vettes and my car drives fine so I am going to take it in next week for repairs.

This guy is a Vette owners dream come true. Don't forget that a GM rep has to come in and inspect the car prior to repairs. He will make sure there aren't any issues that would void your warranty. I cannot believe my good fortune in finding Bob.

Next update will be after the repairs have been made.

I forgot to add that he is going to replace the display unit for the air conditioning. I forgot to tell him about that but he noticed it right away.

I tried to edit my previous post to add this info but I am unable to edit. Sometimes I can and sometimes I can't. Can someone advise?

Approved
 

Took my baby back to the Vette Doctor. GM has approved all repairs and preventive maintenance and I'll get the car back middle of next week.

The Vette Doctor has estimated repairs in the amount of $8,000.00. Thank you GMPP. :thumbsup:

WOW
 

The car was done and Bob and the GM rep took it for a ride. Something didn't feel right. I had also felt what seemed like a slight surge when I let up on the pedal but I thought it was tune related.

They think it's the tranny or torque converter and are going to tear it down. I told Bob we'll go with maybe a 3200. :thumbsup:

Recommended
 

I can highly recommend The Vette Doctor in Melbourne Florida. They ended up replacing the torque converter and transmission. All work was approved by GM and the total bill was $12,057.59 for all repairs. My cost was zero.

3 more years left on my GMPP and you can bet the car will go in for a thorough inspection prior to the expiration date.

I hope this thread helps anyone in this area that needs quality work done.

Bad News
 

The Vette Doctor is so damn slow he's driving me nuts. Problem is he's smart and knows his stuff so I'm stuck.

The first tranny (supplied by GM) installed lasted about 2 weeks. Under the GM warranty it's a requirement if the original replacement fails it has to go to a GM dealer. So this dealer puts in another tranny supplied by GM. Problem this time is a wheel seal and I've got lube all over the place.

I called the Vette Doctor and he said to drop it off Wed. He still hasn't had time to finish the original work. The air conditioner keeps throwing a code and I have cylinder misfires when I decelerate. No misfires while accelerating. This has been going on since I originally took the car to him but I let it slide because it wasn't a big deal. Now the fans will not go into high mode unless I command them on via my laptop or use a fused jumper wire at the CB. Now I'm thinking the PCM is going bad. I told him today I want this car fixed and 100% complete.

Ii would still recommend this guy because he really knows his stuff and does quality work but you have to stay on top of things and don't make my mistake and let things slide. He's got 3 lifts and 2 other mechanics that I know of but he's buried in Vettes and I guess if you don't complain you just get moved to the bottom of the list.

I'm starting to get a little pizzed.

hello Bob K,

jim franklin, tallahassee. i do know the C5/C6 registry is run by Dan Adovasio out of Melbourne..perhaps he could help you out.

Thanks Jim, I'll keep this info for reference. Right now I'll stick with the Vette Doctor because he knows his stuff and does quality work. The only repeat problem was caused by GM. Bad replacement tranny and they insisted a GM dealer put in the second one.

If this other stuff isn't fixed by next week or I'll contact Dan. Thanks.