I’ve taken mine to Criswell twice now. Had the belt service done there as well as minor maintenance and tires.

Overall found the process easy and their service manager (Bernard) is super communicative.

Tyson’s has always been hard to get quotes and schedules with. When I have gotten quotes they tend to be uncompetitive.

Looking to do a bolt service in the coming year and will probably do Criswell for that.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Apparently you and I are 2 of the 86 total Basalt Gray 4C owners in North America.

 

Greetings National Capital Region 4C owners,
@carmaraderie @HeavyFoot @Rjwhit75 @NOVA_Steve @kohlk @Brewster Thackeray @SeaLawyer

I'm a new owner. I was searching for maintenance recommendations in this area, and saw your posts and decided to consolidate them. Please feel free to add other local 4C owners to this.

From the forum threads I saw service-related comments on:

• Loudon County Exotics [LOCO], Sterling, VA (was recommended for major services; has an Alfa specialist)
• Loudon Auto Services, Falls Church (was recommended for basic oil changes and services)
• Safford Alfa Romeo Dealership, Tysons VA (didn't see recommendations from forum members; received timing belt change rough verbal quote of $7-8k)
• Criswell Alfa Romeo Dealership, Germantown MD (didn't see recommendations from forum members)
• ?Others?

Are there any other recommended mechanics in the area? How are the prices at Loudon County Exotics?

Regarding events and meets, I saw comments on:

• Katie's Coffee House, Great Falls (Saturdays) -
• Car's & Coffee, Dulles Landing, Sterling, VA (Sundays; 0700-0900)

I welcome any feedback or advice you have.

Regards,
AlfaMug

Linked Threads:
4C Spider settling in to Virginia
2015 Rosso Alfa Coupe coming to Washington DC area
Looking for Local Alfa 4c owners group

Welcome, AlfaMug both to the Forum and, more importantly, 4C ownership! You've pretty much nailed the service options that I'm aware of and would tend to use LoCo Exotics more often unless they are inconvenient for you. Much better pricing and service than either dealer. I love London and they work on my vintage Alfas but they are so slammed, I would look elsewhere for oil changes, etc. Regarding events, Katie's is by far the better of the two you mention however Mikey & Mel's Cruise-in is held monthly in Columbia, MD and attracts a crowd, as does Cars & Cigars, usually in LoCo. I'm in Arlington... LMK if you're nearby. Lastly, you should join the AROC Capital Chapter, though the members there are mostly older folks from the pre-1994 crowd and don't seem to embrace the newer generation of Alfa owners (2015+) as much as I think they should. For that, check out DMV Alfas on Insta. Steve runs that group and his white 4C is well-known in the area... Cheers and hope to meet you soon.

 

Thanks for the warm welcome and info, Rjwhit75. I once owned a 1986 Spider Veloce in 1994. I'm in the Woodbridge/Occoquan area and looking forward to meeting the local community. I'll check out the AROC Capital Chapter and DMV Alfas.

 

Stay away from Safford. They’re awful! I’ve heard good things about Criswell, but never used them. I do my own oil changes. Much easier after installing the drain adapter. Timing belt was done by London Exotics. They were great to work with, reasonably priced, and let me supply my own parts. Highly recommend!

 

Thanks for the info SeaLawyer. Guess I'll be paying Loudoun County Exotics a visit next service. I had my belts, water pump, tires, oil, brake fluid, etc. changed in the Chicago area where I bought the car before driving it back here. I typically do my own oil changes, but need to get up to speed on the 4C's special needs. Before buying my car, I did check out the drain adapter on one of the 4C-Forum threads, but some reviews stated they can leak. It would definitely make life easier, so it is still one of my considerations.

 

Oh, and you might also consider getting the replacement steel coolant bleeder screws from Alfissimo. It can be done when you do another service.

 

Thanks Rjwhit75, I'll consider these for the next service.
Stainless Steel coolant Bleed screw replacement kit- Giulia/Stelvio 2.9L/2.0L/1.8L

 

Thanks for your feedback. I updated the main discussion post with everyone's input.

 

Hola Alfa lovers… any recommendations for a worthy shop in South Florida?

 

Maybe a bit out of this group's area of geographic expertise? You might get better success with a general post on the site.

 

Woodbridge area?
I’m in North Stafford and frequently will take late night drives through western Stafford/Eastern Faquier. The roads were made for a 4C. Parts of PW Co too, just north of Quantico.👌👌👌👌

 

I'll have to check out those roads. Just did a day trip to Skyline Drive / Front Royal. That will be a go-to excursion for me.

 

If you guys want to get a 4C drive together LMK. The 4C owners up in NY do one and they have a blast...