Stuart Eitzman and Kendrick Kenny are trying to make it cheaper and easier for Athens residents and students to keep their cars in shape.
Stuart Eitzman has been fixing up his friends' cars ever since he's been at Ohio University. In exchange, he usually only asks for a nominal fee — a few bucks or a six pack of beer.
But it wasn't until late October that he and his friend, Kendrick Kenny, decided to turn their car savviness into cash.
"One afternoon, Kendrick and I really didn’t have anything to do, and it dawned on me," Eitzman said.
Eitzman and Kenny, who are both juniors studying engineering technology and management and are part of Ohio's automotive club, posted to the West Side Athens Facebook page offering their "services with minor to intermediate car maintenance."
"It's really just a couple guys who have profound automotive knowledge and decided, maybe we can make a little extra cash,'' Eitzman said.
Eitzman said he hasn't made any house calls yet, but several people have emailed him asking for advice about their car problems.
"Most people probably just don’t realize that a lot of these problems are very easily solved," he said. "By just knowing a few basic concepts you can fix quite a few things on your car."
He said most auto repair shops overcharge for their services because people don't have very much knowledge about their own cars. For example, he said, brake pads cost about $20, but most auto repair shops charge $200 to have them installed.
"When it comes to brakes, your typical shop makes a fortune off of you," Eitzman said. "It's like movie theater popcorn."
He said he doesn't have any specific method of determining how much to charge. Usually he calls Firestone to get a quote and cuts that price in half.
"That's usually worth it because both parties would really benefit," he said.
Emily Goldberg, a junior studying media and communication, said she could probably use Eitzman and Kenny's services. She said her tires are "iffy" in the rain.
Last year, she got in a fender bender and had to take her car to a repair shop on State Street.
"It's just out of the way. You don't know the people," Goldberg said. "I don't know anyone who's ever been there, (so) I don't have anything to go off of."
Eitzman said his service can't fix most "major" issues like repairing cars after fender benders or replacing engines, but he hopes to alleviate some of the hassle of going to a repair shop.
Ethan Forness, a senior studying psychology, said his brakes gave out on him sophomore year while picking up friends to go to Florida on spring break. He drove all the way there using the emergency brakes.
But in spite of that, he said he wouldn't trust two students with his car.
"I like the concept of it, but I kind of question the quality of the parts," he said. "I've had a mechanic servicing my car since I was 16, and I've always trusted him that he wasn't going to do anything shady."
But Eitzman said, for most problems, it's not necessary to take a car to a professional mechanic.
"People don’t trust some amateur to come in and fix their car because they simply don’t understand," he said. "(Going to a professional) would be like if you had a cold and going to a surgeon when you could just take NyQuil."
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