HELP: repairing iPod at local service center?

I have two iPod Classics, one 5.5G 80G and another 6G 160G, which both seem to be dying. I've been having problems with syncing my music in iTunes (even disk mode doesn't work), the iPod restarting out of nowhere, and ugly spinning noises that clearly indicate something is wrong under the hood. I've read elsewhere on the forums that problems with iTunes sync freezing up have to do with either the battery, the hard disk, or both. Apple discontinued the Classic last year in their effort to move everyone to their stupid "app" devices which are too fully-featured for me (I just want something that plays music and nothing else, a pox on chat and browser and Facebook and the camera and all that rot).

As Apple does not actually "fix" your actual device (they basically scrap it and send you a "refurbished" model which most likely has the same issues of failing hardware), I want to see if I can get it repaired at a local Apple Store. The closest to me is only about 20mi from where I live. I'm desperate to get these iPods fixed so that I don't have to be forced onto a useless, overpriced app device that does more than what I want it to. Does anyone have any experience getting their devices repaired at local Apple stores? What should I expect upon my visit? Do they actually fix it in-house, or are they just an intermediary to ship it off to Apple for a refurbished brick too? Please help!