Fred Indorf is something of a local legend in the Briarcliff Manor-Ossining area.
Growing up in the neighborhood, he started pumping gas and washing cars at the former Wallace Scott Motors, a Saab, Volvo and Jeep dealership on North State Road, eventually becoming an auto mechanic there.
Eight years later, Indorf opened Fred’s Auto Repair of Briarcliff Manor down the street at 581 North State Road in January 1974, gradually expanding into an award-winning service center built on the expertise of his staff and the confidence of his customers.
“I started small and every couple of years I grew and moved into bigger buildings,” says Indorf, who honed his craft while working on and driving Corvette and Formula Ford race cars at East Coast racetracks.
Indorf, manager Bill Cummings and their staff of ASE-certified mechanics are celebrating the shop’s 50th anniversary in 2024, a testament to their commitment to serving customers in Briarcliff and more recently at their Shrub Oak location, which opened in 2021.
The formula for the shop’s longevity is simple: “Honesty, integrity and having the right staff,” Indorf says. “I’ve always been very fortunate to have excellent people working for me. And the last 10 years have been the best as far as employees.”
Even as cars have become more reliable, service is still critical for longevity, Indorf notes, including changing the fluids for the brakes, transmission, power steering, coolant and antifreeze according to manufacturer’s specs.
Although dealerships may recommend synthetic oil changes at as many as 10,000 miles, Indorf says doing it every 5,000 miles is optimal. “It’s the cheapest thing to do, and your car will last the longest,” he says.
When a car comes into the shop, Fred’s mechanics do a bumper-to-bumper multipoint inspection, including tires, brakes, battery, belts and filters, and take photos of everything they’ve checked.
The customer receives a comprehensive report pinpointing the recommended services “so there’s really no guesswork.” he says. No work is done before the customer knows exactly what it will cost. We never sell anything that’s not needed.”
Fred’s mechanics monitor advances in each make and model’s computerized systems and continually upgrade their classroom and hands-on training to match the ever-changing technology.
Among longtime customers who’ve trusted Indorf with their vehicles is Fred Eisenhart of Mount Kisco. These days, Eisenhart brings his BMW X5, Subaru GT and Toyota Camry in for regular service.
“Expert knowledge, honesty, hard work and concern about customers,” said Eisenhart when asked what’s kept him coming back to Fred’s for 32 years.
“To have someone in this line of business that produces those things and believes in customer service and has a reputation like Fred does is unique,” added Eisenhart, who got one of the blue pocket T-shirts Indorf had made celebrating the golden anniversary.
Indorf and Cummings are looking forward to continuing to serve customers from across the region.
“I never worked a day in my life, because I enjoyed what I was doing,” says Indorf, who still drives a sunfire yellow 1966 Corvette. “To this day I still look forward to going in. And I certainly love educating the young people that work for me, and they certainly ask me a lot of questions, and I’m capable of telling them how to do the job right.”
Fred’s Auto Repair of Briarcliff
581 North State Road, Briarcliff Manor
914-762-1131
Fred’s Auto Repair of Shrub Oak
3668 Barger St. (Route 132), Shrub Oak
914-352-6090
Been a customer of Fred’s for years. Knew him when he filled our Saab with the gas at Wallace Scott. Janet Wedge