The Pines Mechanical crowned home to South Australia’s best mechanic after founder Braiden Schiller’s untimely death

They say family is everything but for SA’s best mechanic, it’s more than that. Meet the team continuing its young founder’s legacy after his tragic motorbike death.

For a Kapunda family, the title ‘South Australia’s best mechanic’ is more than a mantle on the shelf, it’s a legacy.

The Pines Mechanical director Richard ‘Stix’ Schiller said the entire team was humbled by The Messenger’s latest Best Of series.

“Anything that comes in here, we say that it doesn’t leave here until we would be comfortable driving it ourselves,” Mr Schiller said.

“The level of support that we’ve had from our customers, to get this award, it’s been humbling.”

The Pines Mechanical in Kapunda have won our latest best of competition. Celebrating the win are Dylan Stacey, Clinton Heinrich, Lyndon Heinrich, Emily Allchurch with Aura and family Mel, Ariana and Richard ‘Sticks’ Schiller. Picture: Keryn Stevens

However, there was one familiar face missing from the team celebrations on Friday morning – their son and founder of the shop, Braiden Schiller.

On what should have been his 26th birthday week, the Schiller family were reminded of the void Braiden left behind when his life was cut short following a motorbike crash in September.

Describing him as passionate and driven, Braiden spent time working as an apprentice mechanic at Olympic Dam before he decided to come home and start his own business, tinkering with whatever he could until the early hours of the morning.

“He had goals, big dreams,” his mother Mel Schiller said.

“He would always say he’s here for a good time, not a long time. He was always go, go, go.”

Braiden Schiller, who founded The Pines Mechanical, tragically died in a motorcycle accident at only 25 years of age. Picture: Supplied

The late Braiden Schiller, who was a passionate mechanic who went above and beyond for customer service. Picture: Supplied

As the family mourned, the shop went into a brief hiatus.

But before long the power of community saw the doors reopen thanks to Braiden’s friends and saw his cousin Clinton ‘Clangers’ Heinrich take on the role as head mechanic after the two worked hand-in-hand before his death.

“I would help him smash out a couple of jobs that needed to be done and then we would crank up the heater and have a few beers, before I walked home,” Mr Heinrich said.

The Pines Mechanical reopened on November 22 under a new official tagline: “Keeping Braiden’s Dream Alive”.

“He (Clinton) can do anything that you throw at him, which makes my life easier, but he has some big shoes to fill,” Mr Schiller said.