Tom Hillesheim, the mechanic trusted by so many people, is turning his last wrench.

For 12 consecutive years, Tom’s Monterey Auto Repair has been named Best Auto Repair Shop by readers of the Weekly. Clearly he has earned a lot of trust.

Tom’s success is built on that trust, and on a team that has been working together in the garage for more than two decades. Now, after 32 years at the helm, the shop’s top mechanic and owner, Tom Hillesheim, has announced his plans to retire at the age of 66. The last day of his decades-spanning career will be Friday, April 15.

Hillesheim has lived and worked around machines and vehicles since graduating from trade school. He worked for Quinn Caterpillar, owned a gas station in Corral de Tierra before buying Uyeda Bros. Automotive Inc. on Abrego Street in the early 1990s and turning it into Tom’s Monterey Auto Repair.

That’s where Hillesheim’s been ever since. Despite spending his life around vehicles, he says he doesn’t fall into any camp. He’s not a Ford guy, a Chevy guy, a Mopar guy – he’s not particular when it comes to his own ride.

Hillesheim says he’s retiring at a good age and notes that both his parents are still alive. His father and mother are 96 and 93 years old, respectively, and both are in good health. “I’m young,” Hillesheim says.

Hillesheim compares his experience of becoming a business owner with fishing in a favorite hole that is well stocked. “If you have good bait and you do the right thing, and you’re honest about it, and you try hard, you’re gonna catch it.”

Hillesheim has already sold the shop. Tom’s Monterey Auto Repair will close its location at 870 Abrego St. and reopen next month in a new space under management both new and familiar. Mark Swank from All Automotive and Edgar Uda, Tom’s current manager, will take over. The rest of the staff will remain as well.

Hillesheim says on Friday he will set a time, from 12-3pm, for his loyal customers to stop by the Abrego Street location and send him off.

The Weekly caught Hillesheim at his shop during his last week as a trusted mechanic and shop owner – and as some of his longtime customers began coming by for one last tune-up.

Weekly: You’ve been in this business for a long time. How much has it changed over the years?

Hillesheim: Certainly, things are better. It’s still pretty complex. You go from little tiny repairs to big fixes just like you used to. All in all, cars are way better today than they were, for sure, and they are getting better all the time. Really, with the newer cars, more has to do with [connecting] your telephone or your Bluetooth in your car.

What are your retirement plans?

We’re going on a church mission for a couple of years and then we’ll come back and do whatever we want. I don’t think I’m gonna be working full-time when I get back. I’m not gonna do that. There’s another generation that needs a job. I don’t need to step back in there and take their place. I’ll do something, certainly, just to help people I hope.

You don’t have a favorite brand. Why not?

Probably just my personality. I don’t put cars on a pedestal. I just want something that doesn’t break down … something that I don’t have to spend any time messing with. So I’m driving an old 1993 Chevy K1500 shortbed pickup truck. It’s rapid to do the service and maintain.

Do you get attached to your cars at all?

No, it’s just a piece of equipment. They don’t talk to me. I know we have a lot of customers who get attached to their cars, have names for them and I think that’s fantastic. I just don’t.

How have your customers reacted to your retirement? What have they told you?

That they are going to miss me. My customers have been with me for 45 years, or 32 years here. You have customers then you have their children, and then their grandchildren in many cases. These people become our friends.

What are you going to miss the most when you leave work on Friday?

Coming to work and seeing all the people working on their cars and seeing all the people I see all day long – working with the guys that I’ve worked with. I’ll miss that for 10 minutes. It’s like when I took my first son to college. You take them to college. You shed tears and you go “Oh, my gosh, that really wasn’t so bad.” You just got to move on in life.