SAN MARCOS — Where there are losers, there are often winners. The recent economic downturn has produced unexpected windfalls for some of San Marcos’ more than 200 automotive repair shops, according to several storeowners.

“We’re having the busiest month ever in the 30 years we’ve been out here,” Terry Lau, owner of Terry’s Auto Repair on Descanso Avenue, said. “It’s weird.”

Rob Rennie, owner of Infinite Motion on Grand Avenue, described business as steady, but noted that the kinds of cars coming in have changed. Several years ago, he said, people took loans out on their houses to purchase new cars. Now that the housing market has crashed, people are more apt to fix an older vehicle. In addition, with gas at more than $4 a gallon, big trucks and SUVs are also disappearing from San Marcos garages. Instead, customers are bringing in older but more fuel-efficient Hondas and Toyotas.

“The cars are starting to get older and junkier,” Gavin Rennie, Rob Rennie’s son said. “Cars that have been sitting in yards for two or three years.”

“We’ve had quite a few engine rebuilds which are barely, on paper, worth fixing,” Rob Rennie added. “Nobody wants to buy a new car.”

Lau has seen the same phenomenon. Many customers are bringing in old vehicles for overhauls, which wouldn’t make economic sense in better times. But, Lau pointed out, people are more willing to pay $5,000 for the car they have than spend $35,000 on a new vehicle.

“If money’s tight, you gotta let your old car last,” Lau said.

Not every business is reporting record profits. VW Paradise, the sprawling Volkswagen repair complex that also provides machine services for other repair establishments, is running at three quarters its normal volume, according to owner Scott Lauffer.

Lauffer was also skeptical about the rosy reports of unprecedented profits by his fellow shops.

“I haven’t seen that in the way of the machine shop, so they aren’t doing (the business) they were four months ago,” he said.

Things are even tougher for the myriad smaller shops along Grand Avenue.

“A lot of it is just because of the kind of work that everyone needs done right now,” Gavin Rennie said. “Everyone needs big jobs. They want their old Honda rebuilt. A lot of the little guys ... are not experienced enough yet to know how to do them.”

“It seems like the weak drop during this type of times,” Lauffer said. “You weed out that bad ones and the good ones are still here in the end.”

“Customer service is key,” Lau said. “The cars are machines. That’s easy to fix. If someone has a problem and you take care of it, they’re going to tell their neighbor and their friends.”