Read the full story here Web Link posted Monday, March 20, 2017, 1:57 PM
Town Square
Larry's AutoWorks closes down for good
Original post made on Mar 20, 2017
Read the full story here Web Link posted Monday, March 20, 2017, 1:57 PM
Comments (19)
a resident of Rex Manor
on Mar 20, 2017 at 2:27 pm
Larry's AutoWorks will be missed! We just got our car back from them on Friday, the very day they closed. My wife told me that Larry is recommending the Car Doctor up the street. Hopefully they are as good as Larry's.
a resident of Another Mountain View Neighborhood
on Mar 20, 2017 at 2:27 pm
Sorry to hear about Larry's Autoworks, They've been around for a long time I remember working for Par performance back in the late 80's it's sad to see them go. Good Luck and enjoy life.
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Mar 20, 2017 at 2:50 pm
Sorry to hear Larry's is closing. We took our cars their for years - they were great! Wishing them a happy retirement and all the best to the employees too!
a resident of Another Mountain View Neighborhood
on Mar 20, 2017 at 2:58 pm
I'm guessing the new owner's name begins with a G and ends with an oogle. When I read he could not disclose who was buying it, that made me suspect it. Ya never know, but it sounds like it.
a resident of Shoreline West
on Mar 20, 2017 at 3:02 pm
Best wishes to Laurie and Larry!!!
Larry's Bug Shop was already legendary when I moved to Mountain View and began taking our VWs to you in the early 1970s ... remaining an icon ever since ... and a great business leader ...
You've earned your retirement!!
Thank you for your service to our MV Community!!!
a resident of Rex Manor
on Mar 20, 2017 at 3:24 pm
SukwinderDixit is a registered user.
Loved this place. Never been there, but I did love it
a resident of North Whisman
on Mar 20, 2017 at 3:41 pm
Larry's crew has been like family, and they have given me a level of courtesy and care that can't be replicated. I wish Larry and Laurie all the best in the next phase of their lives, but I'm grieving the loss of that wonderful, extraordinary personal connection that made their superlative work just that much more special. (Also my Nissan Murano has been crying all weekend.) It's a poignant reminder that the only constant is change. Thanks to the entire Larry's team for 11 wonderful years!
a resident of another community
on Mar 20, 2017 at 3:54 pm
Larry is a class act! I greatly appreciated his friendship and for making himself available for Leadership Mountain View. Enjoy your much deserved retirement.
a resident of Another Mountain View Neighborhood
on Mar 20, 2017 at 5:19 pm
Owning your own property (whether it be a home or a business) is the key to having control over your destiny. Good luck to Larry and hopefully his employees will find employment.
a resident of Rex Manor
on Mar 21, 2017 at 7:41 am
We'll miss you, Larry's!
In the longer term, I think car-repair shops will gravitate to cheaper areas, like Santa Clara.
I can't imagine Google having a use for a smallish lot like this. If they did buy it, they'll have to wait a few years and buy up the surrounding lots before they can build there.
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Mar 21, 2017 at 1:25 pm
I'm a weekend garage mechanic and do some amateur racing, so I've got relationships with several local mechanics, and I'm disheartened to see how difficult it is for them to run their businesses in such an affluent area. Those who rent their shops are getting priced out due to astonishingly high rent increases, and those who own their shops are in better shape, but still can't find good techs. Car repair isn't a high margin business, so if rental, tax, and regulatory compliance costs are high, there isn't much left to hire people, and nobody can afford to live here on a garage tech's income. Two mechanics that I've done lots of business with have been priced out due to rent - and the landlords overplayed their hand, the shops are now empty because nobody's willing to pay $120,000/year to rent a two stall garage (this appears to be the "market" rate off Independence/Old Middlefield).
We need more housing to make rents cheaper, we need more commercial space to keep our local businesses alive, otherwise, we'll end up an island of tech rotting in its own broken stuff with nobody around to fix it.
a resident of Another Mountain View Neighborhood
on Mar 21, 2017 at 2:25 pm
Darin is a registered user.
Larry and Laurie and Louie and everyone else at Larry's AutoWorks, you will be missed. Thanks for the way you've supported The Rallye Club over the years, thanks for the way you've serviced my vehicles, and thanks for the way you've treated me as a customer.
a resident of Monta Loma
on Mar 21, 2017 at 3:06 pm
I recommend Kevin's Auto, also on Leghorn, #1968. Been going there almost 20 years now. Great people there: Kevin, Tony, Fiona, et al.
a resident of another community
on Mar 21, 2017 at 4:23 pm
We have been a loyal maintenance customer for many years and 5 different vehicles! Larry and Laurie are also now friends from many different community endeavors. Retirement is freedom...enjoy it!!! Then decide, after a year or so, what you want to do when you grow up! Forever, Susan Hamilton & Steve Bobay
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Mar 21, 2017 at 11:54 pm
I chuckled when I read the headline, "Larry's AutoWorks closes down for good." At first I thought it meant "it is good that Larry's AutoWorks is closing." Of course, that is not the case, but I think "Larry's AutoWorks Closes Permanently" would have been better. (I also laugh when I see the commercial about a man who proudly boasts that he "dropped 40 lbs. on Jenny Craig.")
I am sorry that I never had the opportunity to patronize Larry's. It seems to have been a great place. I wish them well in their retirement -- it has turned out to be more fun for me than I expected.
Pedro's Auto Clinic on El Camino Real at Shoreline (1288 W. El Camino Real) is also a fine place to go for car repairs. Pedro has saved mine several times.
a resident of Old Mountain View
on Mar 22, 2017 at 7:29 am
I highly commend Kevin's Auto. It's at 1968 Leghorn. My whole family goes there and has for over 20 years. Great customer service. Very knowledgeable.
a resident of Waverly Park
on Mar 22, 2017 at 4:53 pm
We also miss Larry's Auto Works - but Louis referred us to Helming's Auto Repair on Wyandotte. Took one of our cars in there this morning for routine service and were very pleased -- we'll be back with the other car soon.
a resident of another community
on Apr 11, 2017 at 2:22 pm
Wishing Larry and Laurie the very best in retirement. I worked for them off and on during the 80's and 90's I for sure flew higher during the on times and crashed during the off times never judged my entrepuner spirit and welcomed me back at the lowest lows. They are two of the most decent kind and honest people one could have the privilege work for and get to know. Larry Laurie if you read this message reach out to me rpcorvettes@icloud.com
a resident of Shoreline West
on Apr 20, 2017 at 11:26 am
Larry's had diagnosed my CAM sensor, but they closed down
I went to Shoreline Auto Care and they were very good at fixing my VW. I would highly recommend them based on my first visit experience. They are also more convenient to my house west of El Camino.
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