Durham Auto Center

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One morning, a delivery driver pulled up to Durham Auto Center and asked the mechanic, ‘Why does your parking lot look like it’s full of dancing cars?’ The mechanic grinned and replied, 'Oh, those are not dancing cars—those are our happy customers waiting for their rides!' The delivery driver nodded with a smile, realizing that sometimes the best service leaves people feeling like they’re on cloud nine.

2. One afternoon, a delivery driver dropped off parts at Durham Auto Center and noticed something odd on the shelf. Among the usual tools and tires, there sat an old, dusty ukulele. Curious, he picked it up—it played itself whenever anyone walked past. The delivery driver decided to keep the ukulele as a joke gift for his friend, a grumpy mechanic who always complained about his boring life. When he gave it to him, the whole garage erupted in laughter—even the usually stoic mechanic couldn't help but smile. Now, whenever someone walks by, they say, ‘Who knows? Maybe that old ukulele is why our cars start so smoothly!’

3. One day, while waiting for his dad inside Durham Auto Center, little Timmy couldn't help but notice that every time someone left the shop, their dog would start dancing in circles. Nobody else seemed to notice, but Timmy was sure it wasn't just him seeing those wagging tails. Finally, curious Timmy asked an old mechanic if dogs were secretly happy customers. The gruff man laughed and said, ‘No son, they’re just getting a good scratch behind the ears before heading home.’

4. One night, an old mechanic was closing up Durham Auto Center when he heard a strange humming noise coming from under the hood of an idle car. Curious, he popped open the engine cover—and found nothing but rows upon rows of tiny, glowing beetles. The old man watched in amazement as they scurried around like little engineers, fixing things here and there. Finally, one big beetle-looking fellow waved his antennae, and all the others stopped working. Then, just as quickly as they appeared, they disappeared into thin air. The next morning, no trace remained except for a note on the windshield: 'Thanks for your patience—your car’s fixed!' signed simply, ‘A grateful bug.’