Business of the Week: S & N Auto Parts & Repair

64 Bolinas Rd., Fairfax

(415) 456-9400

What do they offer? 

Ninety percent of S & N Auto Parts & Repair business is auto repair. They don't do body work or smog check, but they handle tune-ups, brakes, water pumps, head gaskets and general repair for all makes of American and Japanese cars.  

It’s a busy place. People are in and out every few minutes. The phone rings constantly. Owner Bob Parfitt, often asked to diagnose car problems over the phone, has excellent communication skills and a truck load of patience. “I understand how frustrating it can be when your car doesn’t start,"  he said.    

The ASE-certified technicians (mechanics who have passed tests and who have at least two years experience become certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence) are long-time employees. Sam Watson has worked with Parfitt on and off for 30 years, James Andrew (Drew) Hazelrigg for nine years and Jamie Martinez for seven.   

S & N Auto Parts & Repair is a Tech-Net Professional Auto Service which means they provide nationwide warranties for any work done. They take cars by appointment only, and offer same day service when possible.  

Ten percent of their business is the sale of auto parts, which they have in stock or can order, for any make of car.     

The “shop dog,” Daisy Mae Einstein, an Australian German shepherd rescue, is a popular pooch. Her friends stop by often with treats.   

Who are they? 

Parfitt, who is from a military family, grew up all over the world. During his years at Terra Linda High he got interested in cars. The first project was his older brother’s car, a 1948 Chevy, that he worked on with his dad. “My brother was not mechanically inclined,” he laughed. 

Working weekends, summers, and after school as head of non-fiction and periodicals at Marin County Civic Center Library, before he was out of high school Parfitt earned enough money to buy his first car, a brand new 1968 Cougar.  

Parfitt's broad smile and low-key demeanor have been fixtures in Marin, particularly in Fairfax, for a long time. First, he ran the Arco station in Strawberry, then the Chevron in Fairfax, then “the old two bay stucco on Sir Francis Drake which many people remember,” he said, then Brown’s Garage in Fairfax. In 1974 he bought S & N from the previous owner.

“There were eight garages in town at the time, and six service stations,” said Parfitt. “All did car repair. There were also five garages in the valley and I sold parts to all of them in the 70s. Most of the garages went out of business because when the owner retired or passed away, the families realized they would make more money selling the properties. Today in Fairfax, there is only one gas station that does repairs and one that pumps gas. And only two garages left. When the parts business went south, I decided to open up a repair shop to fix cars.”  

How long have they been there? 

When Parfitt purchased S & N in 1974, it was a machine shop and an auto parts store. He moved to Bolinas Road in June of 1979. The two car bays are on the Elsie Lane side of the building, across from the park. 

Why are they business of the week?  

S & N is friendly and local. The excellent technicians are all ASE-certified. Parfitt has a wealth of experience and suggests that customers bring in their cars every 3,000 miles for an oil change and safety check. This is especially important when planning a road trip.   

For many years, S & N Auto Parts & Repair has sponsored the West Marin Soccer Team, which ranges in ages from peewee through high school. Some of the kids they sponsored, now in their thirties, have become customers. When Parfitt's son was little, he was on the team. 

Parfitt, who says his home is “half in Fairfax and half in San Anselmo,” loves to garden and especially to grow vegetables. He also enjoys salmon fishing in the bay and goes as often as possible. 

When asked if he has any good recipes for cooking or smoking salmon, he gave smile and a wide-eyed answer. “Oh, boy!” he said.