You might try Daytona Auto Machine 386-252-3441. I have used them before ( 4 years ago) They did the job with no problems. Still a good drive for you.

Brian

_________________
63 Plymouth Valiant Wagon

Only about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on location and traffic. I'll check them out when I'm ready for some work.

_________________
Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

Machinist is one of the skilled trade jobs that are being lost to modern thinking (or lack thereof); careers where manual labor was skillfully woven with artistry, craftsmanship, and satisfaction in a 'job well-done'.
The talent is retiring (or worse) and not being replaced, as some of you have commented.
More's the pity.

I've been here 8 years and haven't found a good one yet.

_________________
O==\=/==O

"A mechanic is Somebody."
- Jim Preston

The big, well-equipped auto shop and metal shop at my very large, well-funded suburban high school were taken out in 1992-'93. Replaced by more computer labs.

_________________
一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

This is becoming more and more common, and the reasons are complex. It is difficult to find people who are qualified to use a shop AND have a teaching degree AND are willing to work at teaching salaries. It is very expensive to run a school shop of any sort in consumables and materials. Liability is a problem for schools, and keeping a shop fully up to date on safety standards when it doesnt make a profit is hard. Floor space is harder to justify. A good size autoshop takes as much space as 3 or 4 computer class rooms which are much higher demand.

There is a glimmer of hope, however. All over the world there are things called makerspaces. They are club with a bunch of people who are interested in making things, learning, using their hands, fixing, tinkering, etc. Usually they are volunteer run and cost some small amount per month. Mine has a pretty complete machine shop with a big 1660 7hp lathe and a 5hp manual mill, a small cnc mill, welding, metal casting, sheetmetal, laser cutters, 3D printers, a fully featured wood shop, etc.
here is a space in Dallas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKq6onYBdog
they have a couple racing teams that compete in 24 hours of lemons i think

here is a space in Milwaulkee:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMHTAIytLqA

you can easily find a space like this in your city by googling "makerspace near me" or checking https://wiki.hackerspaces.org/List_of_Hacker_Spaces

Makerspaces sound great until


You get 'that person'

..............

_________________
Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

been wanting to call the shop my block is in for a couple weeks, finally did today.... they send certain things out and that was the case with mine....
they got it back, and can finally do "their" part to it.... I wish I knew where they sent their overflow/over their head kind of work.... maybe I'd send my stuff there directly.

Cars have gotten better? Well, they should- they have 50 years of R&D and billions of dollars of investment behind them. Those of us old enough to remember the 70's and 80's can testify that cars got WORSE for many years. That left a bitter taste that took decades to overcome.

But let's not kid ourselves - everything comes with a price. Today's cars might have airbags and idle really nice when cold, but they've also become largely unrepairable by the average owner. And even the above average owner. That's a steep price.

As for machine shops...all I can say is I'm sure the Chinese are currently flush with plenty of talent in that area. We decided to send them our manufacturing talent in lieu of ice cream parlors, nail salons, insurance agencies, and another nail salon. Enjoy!

The machine shop here I use...the owner and I were discussing his lack of certain machine & measuring tools and he simply said, "I'm 58 years old and there's no sense in me buying expensive tools..."

I'm worried that we will soon lose the only automotive machine shop in the area. The owner and primary machinist is an old hotrodder who knows most everything ever invented for cars, but he is nearing 80 and the years are starting to take a toll. He machined my first block about twenty years ago and I've never had a problem with any of his work. Not only is he good, but he is fast and does an amazing amount of work. The last engine he machined for me was a Poly 318 and he turned it around in about two weeks, despite my telling him I was in no hurry. Maybe it was an indication that the workload is waning. Fortunately, we are near the same age and I probably won't have the energy to rebuild another engine in the time I have left, so I'm not going to be affected like lots of younger mechanics.

my son has a 360 in a different machine shop than I have been using, the owner of the machine shop my son is using is the son of another machine shop 20 miles "the other way" from here. the shop that my son has his engine in, has been a machine shop for years and if you weren't a local circle track racer and/or not a dam Chevy plainly it sat. the previous owner of the local one still comes in and helps out some. I haven't been in the dad's shop in over a year but the local shop and the one where my block is at (close to where I work) all say they have so much work right now they don't know which end is up. swamped. buried.