Christopher Keller
7/13/2020 7:51 PM
Hello All,
New member here writing to say THANKS to Johnny Monzo! I had a few issues with my ‘93 (54k miles) that stumped my otherwise excellent local mechanic. Many of you may empathize? Our Allantes are classics and need maintained, but they have quirks.
So I joined the Club and contacted Johnny about taking a road trip from PA to his NJ shop. I needed a specialist. He promptly returned my call and we set a date. My #1 issue was a nonfunctional rear top pull down motor. If I could get that fixed, I thought that would be a day and the trip would be a success, but I got SO MUCH more than expected.
First we saw a disconnected wire from the motor plug. Johnny pulled a replacement plug from his fleet of parts cars and we hoped for an easy fix. NOPE. So Johnny then found the switch was bad and replaced that. Still nothing. Then he completely rebuilt the motor before my eyes, installed it, and it came to life, but it still wasn’t right. He did a few adjustments and viola!
Next he said he noticed the struts for my rear cover no longer worked. I said I had the struts, but didn’t put them in yet because it looked like a big project. He asked if I had them with me. I said they’re in the trunk. BAM! Johnny got right to work. It was a project to replace them, but he got it done so quickly.
Anything else he said? I explained that my antenna wasn’t going up and down. I had earlier got a rebuilt antenna from him which my local mechanic installed, but it still didn’t work and my local guy was stumped. Johnny dove right in and poured through the thick service manual. In a short time he figured it out!
What else he asked? Well, the driver’s side door switch wasn’t working. Before I knew it he had that switch out and at his workbench for a rebuild. I was seriously impressed. I felt like I was giving out problems in an Allante master mechanic exam and he was acing it.
Johnny then put the on his lift to check it over for me, as well as checking under the hood, all while sharing a wealth of Allante information. We ended our time together by checking out his beautiful personal Allantes. He also gave me some ideas I want to pursue in the future like LED headlights and dual exhaust.
Johnny did a ton of work in a short time due to his experience and charged a reasonable price. I would encourage everyone to take advantage of Johnny’s expertise by making a trip to his shop, setting up a visit during one of his mobile shop road trips, or giving him a call. Having Johnny at your disposal is alone is worth the annual membership!
Hope to meet more members in the future. In the mean time, stay safe and healthy!
Chris Keller