Shop Spotlight: Atlanta Speed Company

We had a chance to sit down with RJ at Atlanta Speed Company to talk about their involvement in the Atlanta Car Scene and their shop in Marietta. Atlanta Speed Company also as a sponsor and supporter of our recent charity event, Drivers Festival.

Images Courtesy of Atlanta Speed Company

When did you get started?

I’ve always had a passion for cars and anything mechanical. From a young age, I loved taking things apart to see how they worked, including my own go-kart. Once I realized a normal four year college degree wasn’t for me, I got my first job at an independent shop, and I immediately knew I wanted to be in the automotive industry. The shop owner, who had worked there since he was 19 and eventually bought the business, was an inspiration for me. His knowledge, honesty, and ability to build relationships with his customers inspired me to want to open my own shop one day. Many years later I moved on to a Subaru dealership and while working as a senior master tech I met a friend that had a similar desire to own a shop. We got together and planned out what eventually became Atlanta Speed Company. 

What is it you do better than everyone else?

We try to do two things better than anyone, quality work and treating our customers right. We teach our technicians to focus on quality, because we want every job done the best it can be. Our awesome front-end team helps by keeping customers in the loop about how long things might take. This way, everyone knows what’s going on, and we can make sure we’re always doing our best to make customers happy.

We all know that when you work on cars, things go wrong. Surely, you’ve got a story to share…

Not necessarily a specific story but we know things don’t always go as planned. But when something does go wrong, whether it’s an unexpected problem or a mistake on our end, it’s important to be honest and open with our customers. No human is perfect, but making sure the customer is happy with our work is a priority.

What are your favorite projects?

There have been so many fun projects over the years, it’s hard to pick one. There was a dry sump oil system install we did a few months back that was a very exciting install. The customer requested the oil tank be mounted in the trunk and keep a mostly complete interior. This meant that the oil lines had to run the length of the car and also on the underside. We utilized a lot of custom designed carbon 3d printed parts. Going through the process from start to finish of dreaming up the part we need to installing it on the car was incredibly gratifying. 

What advice do you have for someone who likes to work on their car themselves?

Patience. Always set aside plenty of time, don’t try and rush yourself. If a problem arises it can be better to take a step back and get the proper parts or take some time to work out a solution. 

What does your shop specialize in?

We are a Subaru specialty shop. While we do work on most makes and models, Subaru is our focus. We have factory trained technicians and pride ourselves on being a Subaru dealer alternative.