Brooklyn Auto Tops Etc

Dean, whose full name is Christopher Dean DeOrtiz, is the best auto mechanic I've ever used and I've used a lot of them. I purchased my car in 2010, a previously owned 2002 Buick Park Avenue Ultra. This is an excellent car, which is why I haven't replaced it, despite the fact there have been many times when it seemed to be spending more time in the shop than on the street. During this past decade I've used a succession of shops but almost of them have let me down: the mechanics would typically begin by doing good work but thereafter would make serious mistakes. Practically the only exception has been Dean's shop. The first time I used Dean was to reupholster my car's interior. He did a beautiful job and charged me very reasonably. Thereafter I returned my car to another shop, as I had already hired them to fix a malfunctioning sunroof that was allowing rainwater to enter the car. After this other shop finally found a replacement sunroof, they installed it and told me they had fixed this problem. Trusting them because of an electrical problem they had previously fixed, I paid them a lot of money. But the problem had not actually been fixed: the next time it rained my car's interior was soaked. I brought the car to Dean and he showed me what this other shop had done wrong and then he fixed this problem once and for all. Furthermore, on another occasion, this other shop almost got me killed as a result of the incompetence of one of their mechanics. While installing a new master cylinder, this mechanic damaged the brake fluid level sensor and neglected to replace it; by sheer luck, the sensor popped out while I was driving my car, shorted on metal, and thereby triggered the brake light on my dashboard. Had that not happened, the fluid in the reservoir could have gone down to a dangerously low level without my receiving a warning that my brakes were failing. Furthermore, while driving my car to this shop for them to attend to this brake light warning, my car's brakes did fail and I almost crashed into the car in front of me. I managed to drive my car to this other shop and told the owners about this near-crash; as it turned out they assigned this same incompetent technician to attend to this problem, but he, despite knowing that my brakes were on the verge of failing, neglected to fully bleed them. I then brought my car to Dean and he did a great job: he installed a new sensor and completely bled the brakes and since then my brakes are working perfectly. Another job Dean did was to successfully repair the passenger side front door of my car. This door had been damaged as a result of an argument, so to speak, between the door and a fire hydrant, an argument that the door decisively lost. As a result, for a couple of years this door did not consistently open. Two repair shops had failed to fix this problem, one of them despite charging me an arm and a leg. It was Dean who persisted until he totally fixed this problem. I could tell you more about the great work Dean has done on my car, but suffice it to say that the name of Dean's shop, Brooklyn Auto Tops Etc[.], has a double meaning: while Dean specializes in the tops of cars, namely upholstery and sunroof work, he is an expert at repairing every aspect of a car, so it is fair to describe him as Tops in every way!

Dec 07, 2020 · Oscar Jaeger

Needed headliner for my 18 year old german made car. Was not sure if this place can do it, but gave Dean a chance. What a surprise !!! Beautifully done repair. Looks like a factory job. All I can say Dean has exceeded all my expectations. You can trust him with your old car needs.

Jun 14, 2022 · Simon L

My 2004 BMW Z4 had convertible top trouble for the last year... and even though I live in NJ I read about this place and decided to try it out. Dean answered and I knew he was the man for the job. The only bad thing is that I went the cheap route (which is not the way to do a convertible top job), and Dean wasn't able to bring the top up and down electronically but he gave me a functioning manual top (which did not even work properly). The price was a bit more than I expected, but it was a project car and understood of the many headaches my car gave Dean as the job kept on proceeding.

Aug 24, 2021 · Angel Chabla

I've been a customer of Dean's for over 6 years. Dean's custom work is phenomenal. He customized my convertible with lambo doors, custom kit and redesigned the entire interior upholstery. I can’t tell you how many times people want to stop and take pictures of the car. Now my second project was even more complicated, but not for Dean. A complete custom built kit for my jeep, front and back bumpers and a dual exhaust modification. It’s a true work of art!!

Oct 07, 2015 · J. H

Dean's work and manner of conducting business were exceptional. He took the time to step away from his work, diagnose my issue, negotiated an doable down payment with me and got me on my way. He delivered when promised and was very flexible - accommodating a pickup time that worked for me. He's a master of his craft, with decades of experience and it shows. Highly recommended.

Jun 09, 2018 · Al C