Fender's Garage, LLC

07/21/2026

Many of you have met and come to love (if you didn't already) our front desk person, Erin, over the last several months. Sadly (for us), she has decided to take a new position at one of the local state parks, which is much more in line with where her passions lie. We are very happy for her, but she will be greatly missed here at Fender's.

If at all possible, we'd like to get someone onboarded before she's gone (so we have some overlap), but we know that's likely an unrealistic expectation. However, we are still looking to fill the position as quickly as possible, so long as it's the right person. Please see the job description below for details, and how to apply. Thanks!

We are looking to hire a full time Administrative Assistant, starting immediately. This position will involve working at our front desk, creating and updating invoices, interfacing with customers and part suppliers, logging expenses, weekly cleaning, and other automotive office-related tasks. While some level of experience is preferred, we are mainly looking for someone who is ethical, pays attention to detail, is efficient (fast, but not so fast they miss details), and desires to do good work and do right by our customers. We'd rather hire someone of good character who may still need some training, than hire someone who "knows what they're doing", but has no passion for the work, cuts corners, and lacks meticulousness. If you're both experienced and detail oriented, that is a plus. Moreso if you have existing automotive knowledge.

Pay will depend on experience level and other factors (to be discussed if a job offer is made). Must have a valid drivers license and clean driving record, as moving cars around the parking lot is occasionally part of the job. Ability to drive a manual transmission vehicle is a plus, but not a requirement. You may be required to help steer or push inoperable vehicles into the bay.

As stated, experience preferred, but we are also open to someone looking to start out in the industry. However, you must provide examples showing you have an aptitude towards organization and computers (specifically Excel), and a willingness to learn, if you have no prior automotive training or clerical work experience.

Resumés can be sent to the shop email (see below), using the subject line "Job Application". We also have an application form available, if preferred. You can stop by the shop to pick up a hard copy, or we can email you a pdf copy (email us, or text/call with your email address, and we will send it to you).

Phone: 423-657-9704
Email: [email protected]

07/14/2026

PSA: If you have a battery installed at a parts store, don't let them install these felt rings. They claim they help with corrosion, but they don't. They also keep the cable clamps from seating all the way down on the post; the posts are tapered, and if the clamps aren't fully seated, they won't stay secure on the post, causing a poor connection. The percentage of them we throw away, that we know people spent their money on, is almost 100%.

07/02/2026

"I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is a disgrace, that two are called a law firm, and three or more become a Congress!" - John Adams, 1776, the musical

Just a little bit of levity (though true) to carry you into our 250th Independence Day.

We will be closed tomorrow, July 3rd, to celebrate the holiday weekend, back on Monday.

Also, if you missed out local production of 1776, there will be a public reading of the declaration July 8 (the anniversary of the first public reading), at the Greene County Courthouse at 5:30 pm, where some of the cast will be performing 1 or 2 of the songs as part of the event. Free apple pie to the first 250 people there.

06/26/2026

One of the jobs we had scheduled to finish today wrapped up yesterday. Feel free to give us a call of you're needing anything, we can probably fit you in!

423-657-9704

06/25/2026

We're sharing the below auction listing for this coming weekend because of the two Toyota vehicles featured. Anyone who asks us for vehicle recommendations, our answer is almost always a Toyota/Lexus product. Statistically, their quality far exceeds any other brand, especially in the last 15 years.

So, if you're in the market for a vehicle, this could be a good opportunity to get a good quality vehicle at a good price.

Public Auction: "Bankruptcy*Antiques*Tools*Collectibles" by Morelock Auction Team. Auction will be held on Sat Jun 27 @ 09:00AM at 1040 West Pines Road in Afton, TN 37616. See photos and more auction details on AuctionZip.com Now.

06/22/2026

If you didn't get a chance to this past weekend, go see Greeneville Theater Guilds production of 1776 this coming weekend! Our very own Amelie Gentit plays the lead role of John Adams, and does an excellent job (as does everyone else). It brings back to life a story that, sadly, many of us don't know much about today, but should know.

Meet one of the cast and characters of our upcoming production of the Tony-award winning musical "1776"!

Amelie plays John Adams - delegate from Massachusetts. Adams wrote in a letter to his wife, Abigail, on July 9, 1774: "I have a zeal at my heart for my country and her friends which I cannot smother or conceal." We are so grateful he couldn't, and we've celebrated his efforts for 250 years. (Thanks, John!)

GTG is excited to bring to life the story of the people responsible for the creation of the United States 250 years ago! Join us as we celebrate the founding fathers and the drafting of the Declaration of Independence over two centuries ago.

The performances will be at the Capitol Theatre on Main Street on the last two weekends in June - just before the big day!

Directed by Faith Rader
June 19, 20, 26, and 27 at 7:00 pm
June 21 and 28 at 2:00 pm

Tickets are available on our website and will be available at the door at the time of the show.

06/16/2026

This is a long video, but worth the watch, because this topic impacts anyone who owns or drives a vehicle. I will also note, this is by no means intended as a political post in favor of one party or another (we don't really care for either of them); any comments suggesting otherwise will be deleted.

The quick version, is that US auto makers are trying to get legislation pushed through that would make it increasingly difficult (if not impossible) for DIY folks and Independent shops (like ours) to work on newer vehicles. The CEO of Ford, since this video, has essentially confirmed that he thinks all work should be done at dealerships, because new cars are "too complicated" to make it safe for anyone else to do so. Remember, Ford has had a massive shortage of technicians for a while now, and for good reason (though, that's a conversation for another day). You can find his interview online easily enough. Dealerships have lost about 10% of their service business in the last few years, their most profitable area of the business, and the number of independent shops has grown ~20%.

If they are successful in suppressing Right to Repair laws, it will accelerate the current trend of new vehicles, year after year, being "blocked out" to the average person and small repair shop, without the investment in tens of thousands of dollars in equipment. This is, of course, assuming that the software needed isn't considered "proprietary" by each auto maker, and unavailable outside of the dealer whatsoever. Right to Repair laws are intended to prevent automakers from making a monopoly of the repair industry.

Here are some of the ways this impacts you:

If independent repair shops are driven out of business, you have fewer options for working on your aging vehicles. You also have fewer parts stores, and fewer aftermarket part options. This means, that if a car maker stops making that $20 sensor your car needs to run, and noone else makes an alternate option, you're SOL.

Even if parts continue to be available, you will be looking at double the average cost of an independent shop for labor (and in some cases, parts)

If newer cars are "dealership only" for service, fewer people will buy new (or newer) cars, and will opt to either keep their older model longer, and/or only buy older cars that can be repaired outside of the dealer, at lower cost. This will drive pricing in the used car market even higher, because of supply and demand changes. If anyone remembers Cash for Clunkers (where $500 vehicles became $2000 vehicles within a year), you will be looking at a similar trend. Those who already struggle to buy affordable, reliable cars, will struggle even more to do so. Those who can't afford to properly maintain their cars already, will struggle even more to do so (even we agree, the cost necessary to repair today's vehicles is ridiculous).

And if you do have an older vehicle, chances are that the techs at the dealer have never seen or worked on one, anyways, so if they don't have the knowledge to fix it, who will?

This is besides the point that many in the repair industry, tool industry, and auto parts industry will likely be out of a job (if it's allowed to progress to that point).

There are some petitions going around right now in support of keeping Right to Repair laws (a couple links below). We'd ask and encourage you to add your name, and if you come across any more, to please sign, please reach out to your respective representatives, etc. We, personally, would like to see auto repair become more accessible across the board. It helps keep repairs and diagnostic work more affordable, and helps, in part, to keep used car values at bay.

As always, please let us know in the comments what you think. We hope you find this helpful, and that it helps prompt more discussion on the topic.



https://www.repairact.com/homepage

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/sign-the-petition-give-us-the-right-to-repair?nowrapper=true&referrer=&source=

06/05/2026

We had a couple appointments for today cancel, so our afternoon is fairly open. If you're needing anything done, give us a call or drop by!

05/22/2026

We will be closed Memorial Day, but will be back in the shop Tuesday. Have a great weekend!