www.valleyrecord.com10 • may 22, 2013 • Snoqualmie valley record

Keep on rolling

Some things change, some things stay the same at Fall City’s Model Garage

By Seth truScottEditor

Keeping the Valley’s cars on the road has been the way of things at Fall City’s Model Garage since 1923.

Dennis Musga has owned and operated Fall City’s Model Garage, backed up by his manager and a crew of six mechanics, since 1985.

The auto repair business is Musga’s career. Out of high school, he attended trade school at Renton Tech, training to be a mechanic. Musga served an apprenticeship at Ford and worked at the Ford dealership at Eastgate for 20 years. Then, he partnered with his Valley-resident brother-in-law to buy the Model Garage when the owners were retir-ing. Plenty of customers followed from the dealership, Musga said.

“It’s always been ‘treat a customer like you want to be treated,’” Musga explains his busi-ness philosophy.

That philosophy has paid off. You can usually find the Model Garage by the many cars lined up outside, awaiting attention. Customers roll in from Issaquah, Redmond, Carnation, North Bend. The team, whose mechanics range from apprentices to 20-year veterans, gets to know many of them pretty well.

“All our customers become our friends,” says Musga.

In the old days, all cars, whatever their make, ran on a simple set of systems: dis-tributor, carburator, engine, radiator.

A lot of that simplicity has changed.

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Located just outside of downtown North Bend past Mt Si Road

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How to reduce the cost of owning a car(StatePoint) The cost of car ownership is on the rise again this year, according to a new report from AAA. And if you’re a family on a budget or a senior on a fixed income, you may feel the impact already.But it doesn’t have to be this way. From avoiding unnecessary insurance costs to reducing pain at the pump, savvy drivers can take practical steps to make driving a more economical mode of transport:• Shop around for better insurance rates. If you have a good driv-ing record, talk to your insurance company about reducing your premium. And if you are a senior and take a refresher course in driver safety specifically designed for seniors, you may be able to negotiate lower insurance rates.• Make sure your tires are inflated to the correct pressure as indi-cated on the sticker on the inside of your door, not the number on the tire sidewall. Underinflated tires car can increase fuel consumption by up to 3 percent.• Preventive maintenance, such as changing your air filter, can go a long way toward smooth, efficient performance. A clogged air filter can increase fuel consumption by as much as 10 percent.• Keep a record of your vehicle maintenance, including oil changes.  Try using a high performance synthetic motor oil, as opposed to conventional oil, to allow for more miles between oil changes. Premium synthetic motor oil, such as Royal Purple, can reduce maintenance costs and time spent out of service.  To learn more about the benefits of using synthetic lubricants in your vehicle visit www.RoyalPurpleConsumer.com.

Seth Truscott/Staff Photo

Steve Ramsey, Dennis Musga and Dylan Phifer, part of the team at Fall City’s Model Garage, continue the shop’s 90-year tradition of automative service, in a new era.

See MODeL GARAGe, 12

www.valleyrecord.com Snoqualmie valley record • may 22, 2013 • 11

$199 99• Replace Front Brake Pads or Rear

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www.valleyrecord.com12 • may 22, 2013 • Snoqualmie valley record

WATCH FOR THE SNOQUALMIE VALLEY VISITORS GUIDE

Publishes: Wednesday, May 29th

The guide is a great place to brand local businesses and promote

products and services to entice both local resident and tourist alike to shop in your unique store or venue.

Distributed to over 12,500 homes and businesses in the Valley, an

additional 7,000 issues are also handed out throughout the year at key tourism venues, gathering

places, restaurants, hotels and co� ee shops in the area.

The Visitor Guide is a supplement to the Snoqualmie Valley Record.

Coming up, we also have our ever-popular

‘Snoqualmie Valley Women in Business’ section, and the

Valley Summer Festival pages.

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VALLEY RECORDSNOQUALMIE

425.888.23118124 Falls Ave. • Snoqualmie • www.valleyrecord.com

Summer Fun At Music Works Northwest

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SUMMER MUSIC CAMPSCircus Music Camp, A Musical Trip to the Zoo,

camps for children with special needs and more!

Now preferred provider for Premera.

It is our goal to implement the higheststandard of care at every patient encounter whether it is a child’s � rst visit to the dental

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We believe every child should be treated theway we would like our own children to be treated.

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“Cars now are all modules and relays,” says Musga. “Everything’s computer controlled.”

Instead of an oscilloscope, mechanics use scanners, and upload computer diagnotic programs into cars.

And, along with electronics, we’ve entered the era of the electric car, for good this time.

Musga has waited a long time for this moment. He recalls the dawn of electrics in the 1980s, and figured they were right around the corner. Instead, Detroit abandoned the electric car for 20 years—until today, when the industry has embraced the technol-ogy.

“I don’t think they had the tech then,” he said. “They

talked about it many years ago. I never thought I’d be work-ing on cars when it came out.”

For mechanics to transition to the new tech, all it takes is train-ing—just schooling, says Musga.

“These cars are made by man,” he says. “We’re human. We can figure it out. Just give us the training.” He sends his mechanics to class every month for the latest techniques.

The one car that Musga would love to get a chance to work on is the new Tesla electric sedan, the Model S.

“It is the future,” he says. “Here’s another thing that’s going to be the future: Plug-in charging stations. They’re going to be every-where. You won’t have to worry about gasoline damaging the environment.”

• The Model Garage is located at 33805 Redmond-Fall City Road. Call (425) 222-5751 or visit www.modelgaragefallcity.com.

MODEL gARAgE FROM 10

Courtesy photo

Pictured above, circa 1930, Fall City’s Model Garage has a long history of auto service in the Valley, going back to 1923.

Art Walk planned for FridayThe next Snoqualmie Art Walk is 2 to 7 p.m. Friday,

May 31. Find food, music and entertainment in downtown Snoqualmie, with artwork from Mount Si High School’s Festival of Arts featured at City Hall and the Chamber of Commerce. Artists from the Mount Si Artist Guild will have a show upstairs above the Candy Factory in Snoqualmie. Recently voted “Best Photographer of the Valley,” Mary Miller will be unveiling her “Heart of the Valley” photo taken last weekend at Centennial Fields. The public is invited to all events.

Tree City USA for third yearThe Washington State Department of Natural Resources

recognized 82 cities that have been chosen as a Tree City USA in honor of Arbor Day, observed last month.

Snoqualmie is one of them. The Valley city has been a Washington state Tree City USA award winner for three years. DNR recognizes cities that earn the Tree City USA title for their efforts in keeping urban forests healthy and vibrant. To be acknowl-edged as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, a city must designate staff to care for trees, appoint a citizen tree board to advocate for community forestry, establish a tree ordinance, spend at least $2 per capita on tree care, and celebrate Arbor Day.