No worries if your car breaks down in Rocky Point, Mexico
I consider myself one of the “remember when” Rocky Pointers as I come upon my 20th year of being a visitor to this fine city and am now into my 17th year of residency here in Rocky Point, Mexico. Between that and working for the Rocky Point Times Newspaper for eons, I consider myself a “source”. And, needless to say, I have been through my fair share of mechanics since I drove beaters when I first moved here because hardly any of the streets were paved and nobody really cares what you drive down here. As time went on, and streets became paved, I upgraded to “new-to-me” used vehicles so I have had my share of mechanical problems – from a water pump that left me stranded between here and Sonoyta in miserable September to a blown transmission that thankfully let loose locally. I was great at “mechanic charades” since I had no idea what was wrong with my vehicle let alone how to say it in Spanish. By the time I moved into a brand spankin’ new truck I could tell you: where to get your muffler fixed, a spray of undercoat, a new transmission, motor rebuilt, radiator flush, tires rotated, spark plugs changed and an oil and lube job. I found many mechanics that could handle one job and had friends or associates who could do the other repairs needed, but I had to take the vehicle to them, which was a job in itself. I never did find one mechanic who would do everything…until now.
Marco Ochoa, owner of Arizona Auto – or as I call it “the mechanic shop behind the Pemex gas station and Estrellita (auto parts store)” at the corner of Benito Juarez and Melchor Ocampo (where Portugal Insurance is), is the man to go to whenever you need something fixed on your vehicle. I have many friends and a few relatives who went there when Chico owned it and they offered great service then. Marco has owned the mechanic shop for four years and it is truly a one-stop shop. There are some things that he does not do, but he has associates that do everything else. You drop your vehicle off to Marco, tell him what you need, get an estimate and leave it there until it’s done. He’s fast. He’s reliable. He is inexpensive. He guarantees his work. And he answers his phone every time you call him. The shop is open 6 days a week from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm and he will even work on Sundays. In fact, he says he works most Sundays, but let’s give him a day off!
The first time we (my boyfriend, Wayne and I) visited Marco was this past summer for a heater core and air conditioning problem in Wayne’s 2005 Dodge Hemi pick-up. I had heard that he was good, though I thought Chico still owned the business, so we decided to take it there first. Wayne told him what was wrong, got an estimate and away he went. On the second go around we needed some front end work done – ball bearings, steering something or other and a few other issues, all which Marco fixed perfectly. And he even called Wayne when he found something that should be repaired or replace and never did any extra work without authorization so we knew exactly what it would cost when we picked it up. Marco even came out to our home at Laguna Shores when his truck wouldn’t start. Marco came, fixed the problem and I don’t even think he charged him much if anything (by this time we had thrown a lot of business his way).
As coincidence would have it, the engine on my little 4×4 Nissan blew at the same time a renter here at Laguna Shores Resort blew their motor on their trip down here. Unfortunately we had to tow my truck back from the States, but Wayne called Marco and told him about the renters here and he arranged for the vehicle to be towed to his shop so he could look at what damage had been done and what it would cost to repair it – it was less than half of what it would have cost in the States.
Of course my truck had to go in for an overhaul – apparently there is more than one way to blow an engine. All I know is it needed piston work and the oil and water were mixin’ it up, which isn’t good. Who knew? While my truck was in the shop, Marco also rotated and balanced my tires and replaced all the hoses, flushed the radiator, replaced water and oil pumps and replaced the clutch and a slew of other stuff that it needed, which we pre-approved. And then he offered to paint it at his cost! Yahoo! So now I have a shiny new truck with a rebuilt motor and almost all new parts. Actually it was Christopher who painted it up – he works there with Marco and also comes to your home or place of business to wash your car. Love it! Christopher’s cell number is (638) 109-7080 or dialed from a local land line their number is 044-638-109-7080. I am totally pleased with my “new” truck – all the rust spots are gone and things that were grayish-black are now black and things that were off-white and rust are now pretty white. I asked for pink flames, but the boys nixed me.
Marco Ochoa is a good man to know in town – whether you’re a visitor or a resident. A good, honest mechanic is hard to find and we all need one – and he should be yours in Rocky Point. I was so happy that I could just drop the truck off and Marco took care of everything. A one-stop shop so to speak. Marco is fluent in English and Spanish and has been a mechanic for 35 years so he knows old cars and new cars with all the electronic do-hickeys. He was born in Mazatlan, Mexico, and grew up in Hermosa Beach, California where he was in the Merchant Marines. He even attended a technical school for mechanics while he lived in California so he knows his stuff! Really a great guy, honest, easy to talk to, up-front and you don’t have to worry about being cheated when you drop your vehicle off with Marco. We will definitely be going back to him whenever we need a mechanic. Marco can be reached at (638) 384-3228 or dialed from a local land line their number is 044-638-384-3228. Guaranteed he will do the work for less than half of what you would pay in the U.S.
