Del Val Miata Club

Anonymous wrote:

I recently purchased an immaculate 2007 MX 5.. It runs great ..looks great ..but it is 9 years old. Although it has been maintained and fluids changed etc I would like to have it looked at and given a once-over by a top-notch mechanic in my area. There are a couple Mazda dealers not far but I don't know anything about them. Any suggestions?

Thanks 

Joe

Regarding your 07 Miata. I don't know where in So Jersey you're at. But, if you've got a Miata, there's only 1 guy to bring it to. Dave Deerson, T&Z Automotive in S. River, N.J. He's in central Jersey off of exit 9 of NJ Turnpike. He knows Miata's inside out, upside down. He's built a few racing Spec Miata's. He's the head tech for NASA Racing. He's got guys bringing him there Miata's from the Phila area and Conshohocken let alone from all over Jersey. He's a 1 man shop only becuase he's a perfectionist and does not trust anyone to work on his customers vehicles. His pricing is fair and less then any dealer but his work is superior to any dealer. He's been maintaining my track Miata's, my wife's Miata and my v8 Miata's for years. All I can say is you won't find a better, more honest guys that knows his stuff no matter where you look. If you can mange to get your car to his shop you'd be doing yourself a favor. Because he's a 1 man shop he may not answer the phone, definitely leave him a message or email him.

His contact infor is:732-257-2664, daviddeerson@yahoo.com

Joe

When you said South Jersey you were not kidding. Glad you were able to get in touch with Dave. As I said in my prior post I know people that come him from as far away as the Philly area, the Main Line outside Philly and the Conshohocken area let alone from all over Jersey. I'm an hour away from Dave. In my case it's not so much distance as it is traffic. The thing is, once he's gone over your car you can be assured it's solid and it will be done right. Not to knock Mazda dealers but there's a different philosophy at the dealer about maintaining your car. Also, very often the techs working there are very transient and don't have the extensive hands on experience that Dave has. And since he's also a racer and has built Miata's for the track he literally knows every inch of the car and all of it's nuances. I'd be interested in hearing about your experience at T&Z.

Well.. I got my car back from Dave last night. What a great guy.. Had a Shop full of racers and was extremely knowledgeable about Miata as you said. He took the time my car deserved to go from bumper to bumper drove it..Pulled what needed to be pulled.. changed what needed to be changed ..didn't fix anything that didn't need to be fixed. It's exactly what I was looking for. I would recommend him to anyone without hesitation. I feel very good about the car I bought and it's future. 

Thanks for your advice and assistance. It is very much appreciated

Joe 

Based on this thread (and as a new member), I contacted Dave to replace all the control arms on my '91 BRG with arms I sourced and pressed IL Motorsports stiffer rubber bushings into (see photo in my album). His Spec Miata is unbelievable, and that sealed the deal. He has a plethora of info about cars (he did the British car thing prior to Miata's) and is a Master mechanic/technician.

I am lucky, as I live 20 minutes away and work 10 minutes from his shop!

Barney Ward

Somerset, NJ

Barney

Yes you are fortunate to live so close to Dave. It's a real hike for me but so worth the trip.