I found out from the guy that sold the VW to George what engine was in it when he sold it to him. It was a solid, 2.0L bus engine that ran great. The weeks George had me wait for him to "get it ready" was actually him just taking out the good motor and slapping in a used bad motor in that he claimed was rebuilt. I have heard from several people that he tells them their engine is bad when they aren't, and that engines are rebuilt when they aren't. I believe the stories because that was my experience as well. I've also met people who were quoted repairs that cost more than the car was worth. George would supposedly acquire them and they would be magically fixed the next day and flipped, despite them supposedly needing all kinds of work. They have plenty of good reviews, so the service you get appears to be based on how much money he needs on the day you come in and how much he can get out of you. Don't believe what they say about any high dollar repairs. Get everything in writing from him. The warranty he gives verbally is absolutely trash. In my experience, I've never run across a VW shop anywhere else this crooked. read more

I've had easy business with George and his sons. A quote I once heard " The only thing cheap about beetles is their owners". May have truth, but George makes it possible! George is a specialist who is neither a car salesman or an auto parts guy, but can be depended on for either. His knowledge as a mechanic and machinist are unsurpassed in Texas' Volkswagen scene. I built my dune buggy from 1958-1972 era parts, and couldn't have pulled off the project for as little money spent as with George. I received a lot of advice from various sources (people, blogs, books) on this project. What I got from George has proven to be the most sound. read more

George's Buggy Shop - Auto Repair Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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George & his son have taken great care of me and my Westfalia for years. Recently went out of their way to work past closing on weekend to get me what i needed to get going in a stressed time frame. They take time to insure things are running as well as they can on items i don't even ask often without any additional charge. Really appreciate these guys. read more

George and his sons, Gary and Jose, are nice guys and interesting to speak with. Thats why they get 2 stars. What they lack is knowledge, convivence and professionalism. It's hard to write this because they are so nice, but I spent $600 for absolutely nothing. The issue I went in with was intermittent and did not present itself to George, so he decided to work on something else, not ask for. I paid him and left. The next day I got towed in again due to the intermittent problem (which again did not present itself), but had him redo the work from yesterday and paid him for that. Thats 2 services that cancelled each other out and I paid for both. Before leaving the shop with my Westfalia George, with a smile on his face, guaranteed me that my engine was shot and that I would breakdown on my way to Florida. 27 hours later I rolled into Tampa, without any issues. I average 15.5 mpg with the 2158cc engine fed by 2 large carburetors, built by Aircooled Express in Omaha, NE. Here are a couple indicators I should recognized as red flags before engaging his services. 1. He has over 100 vehicles on his property, I counted. All in various states of disrepair or disintegration. At first this was cool, now I realize it is a roach motel for VW's. 2. The shop has a single work bay, without a lift. If you need service for your classic VW contact VOSA, the VW group in San Antonio. I found them to be very helpful. Gary and Jose, I hope you are able to unlock the potential your father's shop has. Good luck guys! read more

George has worked on my 1973 VW Thing and he is the only one who has been able to properly get it working again. His work was top notch and pricing is very reasonable. I will be using him again in the future! read more

I have 1974 Super Beetle and needed some alternator repair and some small repairs. was done on time very happy read more

I absolutely love this place. The owner and his son are so sweet. Even let us take some pictures with the beautiful bugs they have.

Came to Georges due to my bug needing some work from collision. He was supposed to fix my body work and my engine. I got the car bag took about 2 months after that time i expected everything to be perfectly fine well when i got my car back it had never ran that horrible in its life. Engine sounded horrible when it should have been fixed and vw usually leak a hair but when it sat at home for a few days about all the oil was on the ground. Even worse it was pitch black oil which he was supposed to put new oil in the car not sure if he used someones old oil but it should have been golden. Overall i would never recommend to anyone after what i went through and what some of these other reviews have went through. read more

I took my buggy there to have it looked at. George told me that i had carburetor issues and that i had a bad cylinder in the motor. He told me that he adjusted the timing and did a complete valve adjustment and that it was a bad motor. He offered me no additional options. I then took it to another VW mechanic and we pulled the valve covers off and found parts for the valve adjusters inside the covers. He also never attempted to adjust the carbs. The other shop adjusted the carbs and had the car running great! I would consider other options. read more

After a year of wondering where I should take my 1979 Superbeetle for work, I finally decided to go to George's. Service and repairs included a complete brake job, repairing the driver's door handle, replacing the steering column bushing, repairing and securing the seat rails, reinstalling chrome trim, and a tire rotation. The shop is a family owned and run business, so while there may be some flexibility required regarding estimated completion times, the personal touch and expertise that comes with several decades of experience makes it all good. George also ensured that my bug was secured inside the fence and was covered at night. Several weeks after I picked up the car, George called me to see if I was satisfied with the work that was done. I definitely recommend George's Buggy Shop. I am an active duty military member who is not from San Antonio and I have no affiliation with George. If (when) my 40 year old bug needs more work and if I am still here in Military City USA, I will take it to George....no doubt. read more

George's Buggy Shop - My baby...1979 VW Superbeetle Triple Black. - Auto Repair Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

We have a 71 super beetle that barely ran when we bought it. George has been able to get the car running and steadily improved its performance. Now the car is a very reliable car and runs like a top. The few times it does need service George treats us not just like clients, but as friends. George and his sons are always willing to do that little extra to help get a car to the shop, get it done faster, get it done cheaper. When I find a Mechanic that knows what they are doing and enjoys their work I am very appreciative of the service they provide read more

i was having trouble shifting into reverse in my 2002 beetle. george and his son jose diagnosed the problem and installed a new shift relay lever. shifting gears is now much easier. i was told by the service department at ancira vw that they did not repair transmissions. they just replaced them. it was very obvious that ernesto (ancira) just wants to make a fast buck. don't think ancira, think george's buggy shop for vw repairs. read more

My name is Greg F. I have 2 British minis I brought home from England iv had new bearings replaced in the tires, new fuel pumps put on both of them, a new clutch put in one of them, George and his sons are great workers and honest people I wouldn't take my minis any were but Georges when I call him he always finds time to fit me in I had a loose tire the other day I was near his shop I stopped in and he said let me take a look at it he took in the back tightened it up put a new cotter pin in the bolt and I drove out owing nothing he takes care of the people and the cars he works on. My minis need the motors rebuilt in them and I won't hesitate to have Georges buggy shop do the work, if never been to his shop were there hasn't been at least 3 or 4 cars in there beening repaired trust me he and his sons are doing something right. Georges buggy shop is the only place to go in town read more

We recently acquired a 74 Beetle from my father. We found George's shop on the internet and stopped by. We were so impressed with their knowledge and kindness. They stopped what they were doing and answered all our many questions. We decided to let them fully restore our Bug. It was a fun process and in the end our Beetle looked brand new. The work is top quality and our Beetle is a head turner. We couldn't be happier. They have a passion for what they do and it shows in their work. read more

George and his staff completely rebuilt my 1973 VW Thing from a rust bucket to a show car. They replaced almost everything with custom parts to meet my specification. George knows everything there is to know about rebuilding VWs. Plus, he wedged my project into his schedule, which stays full. His team is very accommodating. read more