Auto Body Shop Gets a New Look

should be finished with their office remodel by the fall, owner Bob Visconti said.

Visconti said the remodel began with a necessary update for the gas tanks, which needed to be insulated with double walled fiberglass by Suffolk County law. The law was adopted in 1989 and the deadline to install these tanks was Jan. 1, 2010. It was extended until May and Visconti fulfilled that deadline.

"It's a substantial  investment. The county government certifies that the tanks fit the code and Smithtown does as well," Visconti said. 

Once he replaced the pumps, updating the office was the next step. With three garage bays and four gas terminals, Bob's is a 6-day-a-week service station and open on Sundays for gas and limited oil changes. Visconti said in the past 12 years in his location, he has seen a change in the electronics of the engine and the brake systems – something he continues to take education classes on.

"The anti-lock brake systems have become more electronically controlled, we take classes to understand them. I see a lot more people trying to keep their cars longer – which means more service, consistently," Visconti said.

Visconti has noticed a change in business because of the recession. For example, the shop began replacing engines, a procedure Visconti said they wouldn't normally have done in the past, but now do more often.

He said people in their 30s are generally more concerned about keeping their cars for years and first-time drivers are being taught the importance of service by their parents, or their parents bring the cars in for them.

Visconti's tips for keeping your car in good shape include checking and changing the oil every 3,000 miles, and checking the tire pressure and rotating the tires. He said generally, a repair shop should do all these things at every 3,000-mile check-up in order to ensure that a car continues to run properly.