Car Trouble in the Heights? Try These Local Repair Shops

When it comes to picking a local mechanic, a short drive through Tampa Heights provides several choices. Take a ride with us as we visit a few of the local auto repair businesses on Florida Avenue to learn a little bit about some of our local shops and the folks running them.

Located at 2905 N. Florida Ave., has been in business for seven years. Owner Joseph Cannistra opened his Tampa Heights shop in 2003, choosing the location because of the easy access to the interstates and downtown Tampa.

JVC performs complete auto body paint and repair and offers 24-hour towing. While you won’t find JVC via social networking, you can almost always find Cannistra at the shop.

“I love this work. This is my passion," Cannistra said. “All my customers leave the shop with a smile on their face. They always come back."

The best part of the job is when somebody comes in their vehicle is in bad shape and when they leave it’s in great shape,  he said. The shop mainly works with insurance  claims, but gladly accept cash and credit cards. And the staff is bilingual.

A few blocks north at 3033 N. Florida Ave. is . In business since 1967, E&C specializes in brakes and front end alignments.

Brothers Charlie and Troy Traina’s grandfather started in the brake business in the 1940s. The knowledge and expertise their grandfather passed through the generations is what makes them better than other brake shops, Troy Traina said.

 “It’s always been a good honest business and always kept our family going," he said. "It always put food on the table. We’ve made a lot of good friends through the years and a lot of repeat customers.”

Traina likes the Heights neighborhood.

 “It’s come around," he said. "My dad moved here about 25 years ago. I wouldn’t have stayed here after 5 o’clock. And now it’s changed. We feel safer in the area. We can be here 24 hours a day and not feel too bad about it.”

The shop has a Facebook page that their brothers' wives maintain. Troy said he speaks "un poquito Español "and can usually decipher enough Spanish to determine what work is needed.

’s owner Vince Ciccarrello has been in business for 11 years. One Stop, located at 3602 N. Florida Ave., performs all automotive repair services other than electrical.

Ciccarello takes pride in his work and won’t sell anyone anything they don’t need, he said. With all of the bays full, this place was bustling. Ciccarello said he generates business by word of mouth.

“I’m honest. That’s the bottom-line.”

One of his favorite parts of being located in the Heights is being next to the people at .

“Great guys,” he called them.

If there’s one thing Ciccarello wants customers to know it’s that he’d like them to give him the opportunity to work on their cars.

“I will do the best job possible—and try to be as clean as possible," he said.

, located at 3512 N. Florida Ave., has a constant stream of traffic and a mix of people. The shop refurbishes and reconditions batteries for cars, trucks, marine and commercial equipment.

In business for 65 years, the company started as Circle Auto Service and was originally located across the street from their present location. They moved to their current location 35 years ago and have been strictly doing batteries ever since.

Battery Technician Jaymes Kehoe’s said his favorite part of the job is, “when someone comes in here they can’t start and when they leave they can.”

 If there’s one thing customers should know about Square Deal, it's that "we work harder to not sell you a battery than to sell you a battery," Kehoe said.

"That’s just the way the owner always ran the company and he’s passed that on to all of us.”

These businesses and the people that run them are a testament to what makes the greater Heights area the neighborhood it is today. This is just a highlight of a few repair shops located on Florida Avenue. There are plenty more options throughout the Heights to help with your car troubles. For more information on any of these businesses, please visit Patch's Places section.