Corvette Connection

I’m planning on taking my ’64 in for some minor things and forgot to write up a review for a fairly big overhaul Kevin did almost a full year ago… oops. I first learned of Kevin’s shop through the Corvette Forum:
He came recommended by several people. My first interaction with Kevin was interesting to say the least… I remember sitting in his front office talking about this problem or that problem and recall him saying, well let’s get her into the garage and take a look. Rolled the car in, an in a matter of a few min. he was already on ground underneath it checking it out. Confirmed my Muncie was low on transmission fluid, whips out this really cool self-​built pump that runs on a drill, pumps new fluid in… a min. later has that topped off and plug back in. Then he’s got the hood open, and is making sure wire connectors are seated, etc. etc. etc. Drops the car back onto its wheels and says: I think she works now. Wow… I didn’t even come in for service and he’s turning wrenches. I ask how much do I owe you, (feeling like that’s the right thing to do although we didn’t really talk about what and how much) he says… see you next time. Double WOW. Huh…? I’ve NEVER been to a garage anywhere across the States (without knowing the owner personally and/​or having a vested stake in the garage — which I don’t) and people do work on your vehicle on the spot for free. Right then and there I knew I didn’t need to know Kevin for a lifetime to know he is the real deal. The thing I walk away with when I’ve been into his shop (which is rare b/​c his work is outstanding) is… this guy has the 1x thing that is worth its weight in gold and that is honesty /​integrity. Trust in the person on the other end of the phone /​wrench /​etc. is paramount, and Kevin has got that in spades. He’s the type of guy that will argue with you to do the right thing even if the right thing is NOT to spend money… They don’t make car shops /​guys like this anymore. Take your car anywhere and it will be some long drawn out story of why you need to pull the engine down to the block to fix it. Go to Kevin, he’s got it done in minutes and back on the road for what is needed, not how much he can gouge you for. I’ll take my ’64 here for as long as he’s running the joint. Salt of the Earth.

Kevin Ireland is THE best Corvette mechanic, hands-​down in the South Bay. I tried a couple of mechanics before finding Kevin. I have a ’96 Collector Edition Vette that I’ve customized with a painted racing stripe (no decal), so that it’s black over silver, my interior is also custom black and silver, it’s a convertible, but I have an after market hard top, painted to match the black over silver. Anyway, Kevin did some work on my Vette back in 2011, no one seemed to know how to deal with my harmonic balancer. I let my Vette go for a few years because I wasn’t able to drive. After nearly 4 years non-​op, I took it to Kevin. You have to remove part of the drivers side body panel to change out the battery and because it was completely dead, the computer didn’t have data for the 5 areas needed in order to pass Smog. Even though Kevin doesn’t do Smog, he said he would take it to someone who could. Kevin ended up having to drive my car 92 miles in order to get the computer to register the data needed for Smog. Because Kevin was short on space (he locks up all the Corvettes in his shop at night), he needed to get my car done that day. Kevin also replaced the HVAC module, checked fluids, tire pressures, etc. He went way out of his way to get my car done in 1 day. I almost feel bad about posting such a positive review. If Kevin gets to much business, it might make it harder for me to get an appointment, lol. Seriously though, I wouldn’t trust my Vette with anyone else.

I’ve come in here multiple times for oil and fluid changes on my 2008 Z06 and just to ask questions about my car to Kevin.
Take it from me, best place hands down for corvettes in San Jose. He loves corvettes and has an encyclopedic knowledge about them.
Definitely a garage like ambience and fun conversation if you’re not one in a hurry. Would highly recommend.

took my 72 corvette in, to have the suspension and rear end repaired along with a few other things that didn’t work right. Kevin took real good care of my car, explained what I needed and what I didn’t need, and did a great job at a reasonable price.
I would never take my corvette anywhere else

Brought a recently purchased 1990 with 61K miles to Kevin for a few fixes. There was an electrical problem with the A/​C, unidentified oil leak, and required as smog/​inspection as the car was new to California. In a few days he pinpointed and fix the oil leak, cornered and repaired the A/​C issue and smog-​checked the car so I could register it. His knowledge alone amazed me at our first meeting, but quick repair and fair pricing means if there is any other issues I will be returning to Corvette Connection! Thank you Kevin

We took our 1966 corvette to Kevin and he was fantastic !! He sure knows his stuff !!
Also did some extra work on the spot while we waited. I would only take our corvette to Kevin at the corvette connection. A pleasure doing business with.

I took my 2001 in for a dreaded Electrical Problem. Nooooooo. Previously, I had taken it into the dealer, only to have the $ 900 alternator and $ 240 red top battery not fix the problem. Mr. Ireland took off all the panels twice to check each ground, and reprogram the computer. Talk about thorough! She’s all fixed now and for a very reasonable price. I’d be much richer if I’d have gone to him first. I wish he worked on Fords if I ever run into problems with my other car :)

Quality work by a knowledgable mechanic, done quickly and affordably.
I bought a ’78 Corvette that immediately developed a brake problem, and I was worried it would have other hidden issues. I went online looking for a Corvette specialist who could easily tell what was wrong and right with my car. Kevin was exactly the guy I needed!
He diagnosed my brake problem over the phone, and in person he quickly pointed out a few modifications and couple legitimate problems my car had under the hood. Kevin was aware of my budget and goals with the car, was very knowledgable and pleasant to work with.
The next afternoon my car was ready to go with new rear brakes, adjusted lock cylinder, fixed vacuum leaks and adjusted carburetor. I got a lot done for the price I paid, and the car actually passed its smog test the next day, which I wasn’t expecting. The Vette runs very smooth and I’m comfortable driving it anywhere now.
As long as I have my car, I’ll be taking her to Corvette Connection — thanks Kevin!

I took my 74 Stingray to Kevin and he was excellent. I gave a list of what I wanted completed. Timing done, Carburetor tuned, Brakes bled, oil leak near the rear of the intake manifold, Tack repaired and finally Steering tightened up. All in all a pretty good list of things to do.
The first thing you will notice is Kevin is more interested in fixing your baby than trying to up sell you or make a profit on parts. It was decided that I needed a new Carburetor after Kevin explaining the pros and cons of using the existing Carburetor. He actually suggested where to buy a new one myself an have it shipped to him to save parts cost. He had a new steering box on hand and replaced it at cost of the parts. Impressive!
All said and done I had my entire list of repairs completed to my complete satisfaction and here is the kicker Kevin only charged me about ²⁄₃ of the actual labor he spent on my baby.
Great competent work performed at a more than fair price with no pressure or up-​sell on parts that are not needed. You walk out feeling like your working with a friend!

Kevin is really amazing! He is great to work with, very accommodating, honest and knows what he’s talking about. He always listens to my problems with my car patiently. He works with you whether you have an appointment or just dropping in.

Took a ’93 Coupe in for a purchase-​inspection and Kevin walked through the car with me, explaining what he was looking for and giving little tips.

Outstanding! After $ 1000s of dollars at a national chain of auto repairs and still not getting my ’85 fixed, Kevin found the problem in less than an hour and then fixed it! Not a problem since! A real gem, great guy and a true professional!

Took my ’92 with a bad optispark to two other places before I finally found this place. Kevin fixed my vette up practically overnight and for more than $ 500 less than anybody else quoted me.
I dropped the car off at night and it was ready by lunch the next day, extremely easy to communicate with. He’s also very respectful toward the cars he works with — stores them all securely overnight every night.
And yeah, he’s got some really, really nice corvettes in that garage. Guy definitely knows what he’s doing.

Kevin is a gem. He is friendly, knowledgeable, reliable and affordable. I would go nowhere else with my Vette.

This is my second time taking my 2001 Corvette Coupe to Kevin at Corvette Connection. He was originally based in Campbell but moved to San Jose in 2007 – 2008.
I have had 2 great experiences with Kevin and will definitely take my Corvette here again for any issues.
Kevin is one of the most knowledgeable Corvette mechanics I’ve met. His rates are reasonable, and I’m comfortable having him work on any part of my Corvette. I’ll never go back to the dealer, Kevin is who I trust.

I took my ’64 Vette into Kevin Ireland, owner of Corvette Connection located at 270 Cimino St, San Jose, to have him evaluate an oil leak coming from the back of the oil pan. He asked me what I thought it was. I mentioned it could be the rear main seal. Kevin proceeded to raise the car and give the oil spot at the back of the pan a swipe with his index finger proclaiming, «Yep… It’s the main.»
Well, after having the work done in a day and hearing «it was dry as a bone» I drove the car home. After parked for a couple of hours, a spot of oil the size of a half dollar appeared on the ground below the back of the oil pan. I called to let Kevin know there was oil on them thar garage floor.
I returned the first time and left the vehicle for a couple of days. He called me and told me the car was ready and, «it was dry as a bone.» I asked if he drove it to be sure. He proclaimed, «Yep, I drove it and not a spot.» So I drove it home again. You’ll never guess what was left on the garage floor… Someone lied.
I called and told Kevin again the leak was not fixed. He asked ME if I thought it could be the oil pan. WHAT? Now I’m the mechanic? I responded letting him know that’s why I brought it to him. He retorted, «Don’t make this my problem.» HUH? Isn’t that why I brought it to you? So YOU can fix it? (The leak, when someone takes on the job to fix it, assumes the responsibility to, well, fix it. Unless, they say they are unable to fix it, that’s another story. I didn’t hear that.) At this point I put a hold on the credit card payment and sent in a merchant dissatisfaction statement.
Kevin called me to let me know he’d been informed by his credit card clearing house I put a hold on payment. I told him I did because the leak wasn’t fixed. He said he didn’t have a chance to fix it. Yikes! Two strikes, looking for a curve ball. So I let him know now it sounded like he was making it my problem. I flat out asked him if he was tired of working on the car. After all, the level of workmanship seems deteriorating and anyone who has worked on something time after time tends to lose interest. It becomes thorn in ones side. Kevin reassured me he was intent on fixing the problem and to give him another try. I told him that the credit card would remain on hold until and when the leak was fixed to my satisfaction. So after some bickering, Kevin and I agreed to put dye in the the oil and he would look for «the leak» with a black light. I wish that happened the first time I brought in the car. When I returned, Kevin’s attitude was, shall we say, different. One obvious issue was he wouldn’t look me in the eye. So he added the dye and I drove away.
Now I’m wondering, «Does this guy have the skills to fix the problem?» Despite agreeing to have Kevin try one more time, I’m rethinking past events and leaning toward worrying about leaving my car there… Just not sure it’s a safe thing to do. And I’m just not convinced it’s one more time of the same result.
Next I receive a letter from our credit card company that Kevin has responded to his credit card clearing company that I had not returned to have the work completed. I am now in the process of getting another estimate from a reputable Corvette mechanic and following up with the credit card company to refuse payment due to 1) giving the vendor more than two tries to complete the work (all that is necessary according to the credit card company), & 2) I’m not thoroughly convinced I would not be wasting my time at yet another feeble attempt.
Lastly, Kevin said he’s NEVER had someone withhold payment. That means he has. I wish I would have known that too.