Ford EcoBoost timing belt replacement puts Devon garage on the map

Customers converging on Palmers Garage in Exmouth to save money on costly job

Ford EcoBoost timing belt replacement puts Devon garage on the map

The replacement of the timing belt on a Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost is one of those nightmare jobs. For a workshop, it’s a complex and time consuming ordeal, keeping a mechanic busy for a day. For the motorist, it’s a costly and often surprising expense.

A garage in Devon has turned it into a win-win situation for its workshop and customers, many of whom travel from across the UK.

Google ‘Ford EcoBoost timing belt replacement’, and Palmers Garage in Exmouth is ranked sixth; at one point it was top of the search engine rankings.

The Exmouth garage was established in 2017 when a restructuring at Vospers led to the closure of the town’s Ford dealer. Sensing an opportunity, Nick Seabrook and his business partner Steve Skirrow reopened the site, retaining some of the staff and many of its customers.

Six years on, business is booming, helped in no small part by the success of its Ford 1.0-litre EcoBoost timing belt replacement service, which is carried out by workshop manager James Atkinson.

Nick told us: “So far, we’ve carried out 50 timing belt replacements, with customers coming from all over the UK. Recently, one guy travelled down from Liverpool – a 520-mile round trip.

”Some of our customers book themselves into a hotel for a night or two, so we’re also doing our bit for local tourism!”

Palmers Garage charges a fixed £995 for the timing belt replacement, a saving of between £600 and £1,000. The price includes the oil pump drive belt and water pump, plus an engine oil and filter change, all with genuine Ford parts.

The garage is currently doing two replacements every week, often on behalf of main dealers, with 98 percent of them finished within a day. “James could do more,” Nick told us, “but we’re keen to utilise his skills elsewhere. It’s also a complex job that requires a high level of concentration, so it’s better for him if he’s not doing five replacements a week!”

Asked how the garage stumbled across this business opportunity, Nick said: “The garage is known locally as a Ford specialist, so a lot of our customers are Ford owners.

“A customer asked us if we could a timing belt replacement for them, then a couple more calls came in. We put some ads on Facebook and then word of mouth took over. As well as Liverpool, we’ve had customers from Berkshire, Bristol, Cornwall, Northampton and Wales.”

A satisfied customer posted the following review on Facebook: “After searching the internet to find a reliable, affordable company to service my EcoBoost’s cambelt, I came across Palmers Garage who offered this service at a very reasonable price when compared to a main dealer.

“After phoning to enquire on availability, on all interactions, managers Steve and Nick were very welcoming and took the time to explain the service with honesty and transparency.”

Nick is also keen to point out that Palmers Garage offers so much more than timing belt replacements. James and the garage apprentice are doing their Level 2 hybrid and electric vehicle training, while Paul (another technician) will be doing Levels 3 and 4 next year.

Click here to visit the Palmers Garage website.

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