James and Dave Wattley started learning how to fix machines when they were young children, watching and helping their father in the family's garage. Now, more than 40 years later, the brothers fix cars together again, this time in the service bays of McMahon Tire and Auto Care at Glenbrook Square.

Both started their careers at McMahon - after a stint as an Army mechanic, in Dave Wattley's case. But in 1990, James Wattley struck out on his own and started an auto-repair shop, Wattley's Auto Service.

The best part of having his own business? “You're your own boss, and there's no one telling you what to do,” he said. The worst part? It comes back to being your own boss - you're responsible for everything, “from wrenching to cleaning the bathroom to payroll,” said James Wattley, who usually had two and sometimes three employees.

Coming back to McMahon was easy for him, James Wattley said. “This place was good to me. It was like a family atmosphere.”

In addition to working beside his brother, working at McMahon means working for a family, too. Founded by Patrick McMahon 32 years ago, the business is now owned by his daughter-in-law, Kim McMahon, and Pat McMahon Jr.

Although McMahon is best-known as a tire store, it also has been a full-service auto-repair and maintenance facility for as long as it has been in business.

Kim McMahon says rehiring James Wattley was an easy decision for her as well. “He brings a lot of intelligence and experience,” she said. Having experienced mechanics such as the Wattleys, each with many customers who trust their work and judgment, is a critical advantage as McMahon and store manager Jason Byerly work to beef up the service end of the business.

In this recession, Byerly said, tire sales are down sharply, and more customers want to buy used tires, against the recommendations of the sales staff. But as new-car sales slump and greater demand raises the price of used cars, more people are going to need service to keep their cars on the road.

Dave Wattley said they're seeing more customers who are short on funds and need to find unorthodox work-arounds - such as repairs that will get a car safely back on the road after a wreck, but not cost as much as a full-scale fix in a body shop. Both Wattleys thrive on solving the kinds of problems that don't fit the straightforward repairs outlined in service manuals.

Sometimes the problems that motorists bring into the shop are self-inflicted - repairs the owner started and botched, or maintenance that proved to be more difficult than it looked. Those are likely to become more common as people try to save money by doing their own maintenance and repairs.

“The cars have gotten complex. There are a lot more do-it-for-me's than do-it-yourselfers,” James Wattley said.