RX-8 Service in Northern Virginia
 

Any recommendations for service/repair in Northern VA? I'm in Vienna. I've been going to Rosenthal Tyson's Mazda, and had been happy with the service. But Rob, the service writer who'd been taking care of me, left a few months ago. Brought Zoomy in for an oil change this morning. Third new service writer in three visits.

He said the oil change would cost extra because the RX-8 needed synthetic oil.

I corrected his thinking. OK for now for oil changes and other routine stuff, but things don't bode well for the future as they forget what they used to know about 8s.

Between this, and the expectation that Rosenthal is planning on tearing down and developing the land, I expect to need someplace else.

Ken

First to Win Automotive
Sterling, Va
Rotary expert Steve Clumer is the man

Just checking out their FB page. Doesn't look like they pay much attention to it. It would be good to know what more people think about them.

I usually go to Rosenthal in Arlington... Tori is a great service manager and always goes the extra mile! Haven't had to do anything major through them (only routine service).

I go Rosenthal in Arlington for all my maintenance. Excellent service. I had my engine replaced there. It's pricey since it's a Mazda dealer. But, I don't trust anyone who isn't a Mazda certified technician to touch my car.

WhitneyAutoRepair.com
 

My name is Ray. I have worked at both Rosenthal Mazda in Arlington and Nissan Mazda in Tyson's and know both Rob and Tory very well. I have 13+ years as a Mazda Master Technician and I may have very well worked on both of your cars in the past. Rob Arrington is a great guy and I always got along with him well. I will not speak badly of Tory in a public forum but I can not speak highly of her. People like her and the ever thirsty dealership drive for money while putting quality and honesty on the back burner changed my career path. I am a very successful Technician but left the dealership life back in September.

I opened my own shop in Fredericksburg Va. I'm a Mazda specialist and offer all the services offered at the dealers and can do so at well below their cost. I also offer Rx7 and Rx8 engine rebuilds and performance upgrades that dealerships do not offer. I can tell you with 100% confidence that your car will receive superior care if you bring your Mazda to me.

I'm a certified Mazda Master Technician and have been working on Rx8s since the first ones got delivered to the dealer back on 2003. I am also an ASE Master Technician with Advanced Engine Performance certification. I have more Rx experience and knowledge than the service advisors ever will. In fact, I willingly still consult privately with technicians at both dealers when they have difficult to diagnose problems.

Skip the service writers next time and give me a chance to impress you, and save your money.

I look forward to working with you, will appreciate your business, and will treat you and your car accordingly.


Ray Whitney
Owner / Master Technician

Whitney Automotive LLC
39 McWhirt Loop Unit 112
Fredericksburg, VA 22406

Home
www.facebook.com/WhitneyAutoRepair
www.facebook.com/MazdaDriversOfFredericksburg

That's good to hear Ray! I would suggest starting your own thread, maybe in these same "regional" section threads, with your business name in the title. Encourage some of your customers who are on this forum to post on your behalf.

I may make the drive to Fredrecksburg if I don't find anyone closer.

Good luck!

Sweet! I take my RX8 to Tori/ the Rosenthal Dealer in Arlington as it is closest to where I work (for oil changes). Will definitely keep you in mind as I do hate going to dealerships...

Thank you both for your support! Again, I love my RX8 customers and their cars so I hope to be able to work with you soon! Check out the FaceBook page for a coupon giving 1st time Mazda customers 15% off of their first repair. I also offer a rotary compression test using an authentic Mazda Rotary Compression Tester with a USB Thumb Drive containing a video of the test being performed on your vehicle and the results for only $174.97. Great for anyone selling or buying an RX8 or just to document the condition of your vehicle. You'll never get that at a dealer.

SSV cleaning for $249.95, brake jobs for $45 plus parts, OEM engine mounts installed for $425... and a lot more!

Ray Whitney
Owner/Master Technician

540.850.5002
rayjwhitney@hotmail.com
Home
www.facebook.com/WhitneyAutoRepair
http://www.facebook.com/groups/Mazda...dericksburgVA/

Just wanted to give a shout out to Ray from Whitney Auto Repair in Fredricksburg, VA.
I took my rx8 there to get a compression check, he finished it up really quickly and went above and beyond by checking a couple things that I requested he look at. You can tell he is a good honest guy who cares about his customers. Definitely would recommend anyone in the NoVA area who needs work to take their car to him.

Thank yo
 

Thank you very much! I love the RX8's and will always do my best to take care of my customers and their vehicles. I appreciate the support and look forward to working with you again in the future!


Thank you!


Ray Whitney
Owner/Master Technician

540.850.5002
rayjwhitney@hotmail.com
www.WhitneyAutoRepair.com
www.facebook.com/WhitneyAutoRepair
http://www.facebook.com/groups/Mazda...dericksburgVA/

Whitney auto is A-OK
 

I will pile on to the love Ray thread. We just got the RX-8 back from Ray this weekend. I had a bunch of work done! I am a sucker for a good deal and Ray delivered it in spades. If you are tired of never hearing from the mechanic until you call and bug them about your car then you really need to give Ray a chance to earn your business...because he will. We exchanged about 50 emails over the course of the restoration of this 8. He was always quick to answer questions and always emailed me with pictures to point out something he thought we should probably fix while we were at it. Very literate and takes pride in his work. I live over 150 miles from Fredericksburg, VA but was very happy to make the commute to get this work done in a timely fashion and by a knowledgeable customer oriented professional mechanic. I own 2 Mazda 3's a CX9 and now an RX-8. I wish I lived closer as I would take all my vehicles to him even for the routine maintenance. As it stands now anytime I need major work done I will be headed back to Ray's because its simply worth it.:fingersx:

I'm in Chesapeake and looking to get my engine rebuilt. The shop local to me told me it would be about 1-1.5 months, as this is my DD I can't be without a car that long.

I'm willing to go out to Fredricksburg if it's worth it as I can't find any shops other than the one in the immediate area. Any idea about how long Whitney takes to do something like that? I hit him up via the contact us link on his website.

Or if there is another shop around me that can do the work I'd be up for talking to them too.

Rebuild
 

I guess it depends on if you want a rebuild of your engine or a swap for a remanufactured engine. I chose the reman option from MAZDA. They rebuild the core of the engine and have the ability to test it at Mazda and then give you a 12 month 12000 mile warranty. Depending on how bad or good your rotors are a rebuild could cost you more or less and you might not have as solid a motor in the end. Ray can tell you better how long it will take but I would be surprised if he needs more than a week or two. He is a MAZDA trained technician and knows what he is doing when it comes to 8's. This is not a pickup game for him...and he just did mine so it should be fresh in his head!

Thank you very much for your testimony Bullsinn! I do my best to provide quality and honesty in a timely fashion. I look forward to working with you PN_Wheel and yes, after the engine is received it should only take 2-3 days at most for installation and repair confirmation. Engines generally take 2-3 days to arrive.


Rebuilds take a bit longer as they must be torn down, necessary parts ordered/obtained based on the findings, then rebuilt and installed. Given the many oil problems associated with the early RX8s and the fact that many of them are now pretty high mileage, at times side housings and other major components need to replaced and the parts cost quickly add up. Generally, in the interest of time and money a replacement engine from Mazda is your fastest and most economically secure option, but I do rebuild these engines if that's what you'd like!


Bottom line is I'm willing to work with you and your budget and timeline as best as I possibly can to keep you and your car (RX8s and their pistoned counterparts) zoom-zooming. I'm an RX8 enthusiast and have been working on them both in and out of the dealership for years. Now that I'm independent I'm able to take care of my customers as I see fit and do everything I can as an individual to ensure their happy with their cars and my repair facility.


Thanks again! I look forward to working with you all for years to come!






Ray Whitney
Owner/Master Technician

540.850.5002
rayjwhitney@hotmail.com
www.WhitneyAutoRepair.com
www.facebook.com/WhitneyAutoRepair

When Ray says two weeks; he means it.

I also went ahead and opted for the motor swap with a couple things that Ray suggested. It's been crappy weather as everyone around here knows so I haven't really gotten to drive it. But the initial impression after getting it back is that an awesome job has been done.

I gotta tell you I thought that where someone said that they received 50 emails throughout the process was a bit of an exaggeration. It wasn't, Ray updated me everyday, sometimes 2 or 3 times. He'd even apologize for not getting an email through until a certain time if he was busy working on the car. The customer service that goes along with the mechanical service is nuts. He actually makes you feel like this car means something to you while he has it. He took the time to explain everything to me in a way that I understood it.

Ray even went and picked up the motor personally after they didn't deliver it on time due to it snowing outside. That my friends is dedication to one's work. I would definately recommend him to anyone that needs work done.

Bottom line, thanks guys for recommending someone that gives a crap. And thank you Ray for giving a crap. I have a lot of other stuff to deal with at the moment, it was nice not to have to worry about something as serious as an engine replacement in the one car I own.

Ray did a fine job of inspecting and completing work on a 2010 RX-8 GT I recently purchased in VA. I've put over 1000 trouble-free miles on her through the mountains on two trips thus far.

Ray was recommended to me by several others on this list. (I wish he was in OH).

Whitney Automotive, LLC
39 McWhirt Loop Unit 112
Fredericksburg, VA 22406

Ray Whitney
540 850 5002
Home

Just moved out here from southern California... Look like i know where to take my 8 out here now! Look forward to seeing me here in the next few months as my 8 is still on the other side of the country... :lol:

I would highly recommend Ray Whitney at Whitney Automotive. See the contact information above.

Ed

Anyone closer to the woodbridge or stafford area? I am new to the area too.

Has anyone spoken to Ray lately?

^ Unfortunately it doesn't sound like he's still in business. Would love to find another qualified 8 mechanic in the NoVa area. There's a few of us looking...please post contact info if you find one! I'll do the same.

Sigh. That sucks, Ray was a really good guy when it came to his rotary work. We liked him.

Again Ray was great to deal with at Whitney Automotive. He test drove, compression tested, and DX on my car before I purchased over the internet. IDd everything that needed to be worked and made negotiating with the stealer that much easier. Contact him by email (above) - he may be on a long vacation. However his FB page he been cleansed.
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...1182448d7e.png

The number doesn't work, and he has not replied to emails in over a month. I'm doubtful that it's just a long vacation. :(