There are many benefits of living in a smaller hometown area and one of the main ones is finding trustworthy, honest service people. In the Douglas area one of these finds is In Gear Automotive Services, conveniently located at 151 Davis Street (Route #16).

                              Son Justin and Al working under the hood at In Gear

Starting off as a pure transmission service shop, Kerry and Ross Smith soon expanded their services to include a full range of automotive needs. “The customers kept asking if we could do other work, so we started to offer full services to everyone. When we built this building and opened this shop in 2004, we already had a large group of devoted customers,” says Kerry, co- owner of In Gear.

The entrance to the building is friendly, inviting, clean and not intimidating. “We listen to the customer, find out what the problem is and offer our best advice and service even if it means sending them to have their warranty work done at the dealer,” advises Kerry. “We want our customers to be happy with our service and feel comfortable coming here.”

The In Gear shop has four full time mechanics, each specializing in their own area of expertise. “We have the skills and expertise to get the job done right the first time and do it at an affordable price,” adds Kerry. In addition to taking apart complicated transmissions and engines and fixing them, the shop also has fun working on hot rods, classic cars, muscle cars and Rat Rods. 

What’s a Rat Rod you ask? The modern definition is a custom car with a deliberately worn-down, unfinished appearance, rusting, and made from cheap or cast-off parts. A wrench for a door handle or a rifle for a gear shift. “It’s fun to see how creative some of them are,” says Kerry.

In Gear is also well known for participating in the Annual Douglas Oktoberfest, hosting the popular Car Show with a best-in-class contest complete with trophies for the winner.

“No job is too big or too small,” says co-owner Ross, carefully cleaning and sorting a pile of springs and gears in his large garage workshop. All the mechanics, Ross, Justin, Al and Dan, have been with In Gear for years and are proficient in customer speak, meaning they can articulate the problem and give the customer a reasonable answer to questions and timing.

“We have customer financing available too through Synchrony Car Care. Sometimes an engine or transmission repair is costly and it’s necessary to spread the payments out,” says Kerry. 

Although In Gear is very vested in the local economy and well connected with other local shops, their customer base is not only drawn from the local area but from beyond the Blackstone Valley, including Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Hampshire. Good service news gets around. 

In Gear Automotive Services offers over 30 years of experience in general auto repair service, transmission repair and rebuild and restoration of classic cars. 

In Gear Automotive Services, Transmission Specialists. 151 Davis Street (Rt #16) Douglas. Call 508-476-3926, for scheduled maintenance, oil changes, tune ups, brakes and tires to major engine and transmission work.