Recommendations of places to go to get parts/work done in So.Cal

JaviZ · 11-15-2013, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zbrah

Judging by that name, I wouldn't go there for any engine work!

Just checked their web site, looks like they're a good place to go for body work
Auto Explosion Body Shop - Custom & Collision Center - 13805 Normandie Avenue Gardena, CA 90249 - (310) 329-6691 - Auto Body Refinish, Custom Body & Paint

Haha, really! Yea I'm pretty set on giving them a try. Just want to see if any 370 guys have been and if they recommend.

Waiz · 11-15-2013, 07:19 PM

Auto Explosion is pretty much the best shop you can go to for any auto body related stuff

They work on all of my friends cars so you can go there with complete confidence of their competence

JaviZ · 11-15-2013, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waizzz

Auto Explosion is pretty much the best shop you can go to for any auto body related stuff

They work on all of my friends cars so you can go there with complete confidence of their competence

Wow, great!! Thanks Waizzz!

Apoc370z · 03-06-2014, 06:20 PM

Just got my car detailed by Joe (Owner) at Superior Shine. Car was dirty as F due to the rain and the semi flooded canyon road i took to work.

Car looks brand new again so just giving a shoutout to Joe at Superior Shine and you guys can contact him if you are not able to wash/detail the Z yourself.

Tel: 1-800-414-7446
website: www.SuperiorShine.com

TerribleONE · 03-06-2014, 06:48 PM

Anyone know someone who rolls fenders?

Zbrah · 03-06-2014, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TerribleONE

Anyone know someone who rolls fenders?

Someone recommended this guy in another thread for another member. Check him out, he's in SD.

Southern California's Leading Fender Work Specialist

Edit: It was BBQ who first posted from this thread Fender work recommendation

cames4 · 03-08-2014, 12:09 PM

I do not often write reviews; that is unless I experience either horrible or outstanding service. I recently visited “Specialty-Z” in Chatsworth, CA, a tuner shop who specializes in Nissan vehicles. I worked with Sebastian (SEB) who, when I approached him, asked me a lot of questions about what I wanted him to do, my driving style, and expectations. I found him to be a genuine professional, one who is focused more on the customer than trying to upsell his services and components. I must have received 20 emails from him keeping me informed about the schedule, and making sure we were still tracking with each other.

Let me just say that as a former mechanic I had the most outstanding experience ever. I rarely experience someone who exceeds my expectations but in this case, he knocked the ball out of the park. I could not be happier. I have decided to drop my current shop and exclusively use Specialty-Z. He completed the work ahead of schedule, washed the car, and spent a lot of time going over the equipment and mapping instructions. In my honest opinion, no one compares to this shop.

Work completed; Stillen cold air intake, oil cooler, Fast Intentions exhaust, and tune.

Z370Z011 · 03-08-2014, 03:11 PM

Didn't even know of this thread till now. I'll definitely be using some of the referenced shops!

NismoNox · 03-08-2014, 05:07 PM

I've always used Pro-1 Performance in Pico Rivera, they really take care of my car and last time I went for an oil change, I saw a R34 getting suspension done.

BeemaaZ · 03-18-2014, 04:18 AM

Can anyone recommend a SMOG place in North Orange County? Thanks

axmea? · 05-08-2014, 01:54 AM

I no longer recommend Lou and Amplified Motorsport. I've been to his shop for my suspension and intakes so I had good experience prior to this and this time, it was disastrous.

Here's what happened.

This took place just before Thanksgiving '2013 when my GB NST pulley arrived. It was an install gone bad. Took more than 20 minutes to get the car up on their lift. This should have been a signal for me to say stop, I'm leaving. But I was there before. As for the installation itself, the battery terminal was not undone. For some reason, they shorted when the tech's wrench grounded and zapped a hole on the oil filter cooler, sparks went flying around and I went oh sh!t. All the coolant leaked out. Tech error. He said he thought about taking the terminals off but did not say anything. I heard from the lead tech that the Lou wanted to weld the hole shut. Lead tech said no not a good idea and asked to get a part instead (thanks lead tech Naoki - owns drift101 - drift school). No parts to be found in short notice. Special order item. No dealer had it in stock. They decided to bypass the oil cooler so I can get home -- a temporary solution. Fine I can come back Saturday to install the replacement oil cooler. When they were done with the pulley install, the car would not start. Key light went on! They checked the fuses and did not find anything. They seriously thought the incident triggered the steering lock issue. Car sat overnight. Oil cooler replacement arrived late Friday. They eventually discovered the fuse that kept the car from starting. They missed it the first time they went over all fuses. They had to replace the fuse assembly to get car started. Glad to find it was not the steering lock issue. It should not be affecting later model Z's. Since the cooler was replaced, they replaced the oil and filter and began bleeding late in the day. I just had my oil changed the past weekend with Amsoil Synth and Amsoil filter. They used Eneos and K&N. Not a fan of K&N but oh well. It is what it is. They could not work on bleeding the car again until late Saturday (tech had an appointment and can work late afternoon on Saturday). Car was finished late Saturday. I was picked up Sunday AM to by the tech to pick up the car.

What normally took 1 hour at the most to complete took 2.5 days because they failed to protect the car by taking off the terminals from the battery, replacement parts took time, tech could not work early Sat AM due to a prior commitment. Oil cooler and the starter fuse assembly took a long time to find. They tried their best to get it fixed. Started with one error. The pulleys were done quickly. Had it not been for grounding out and zapping a hole on the cooler, it would have been fine and zero issues. Again, they did their best to figure it out.

Because of the trouble, they did not charge me for the install. I know they really felt terrible about what happened. I got upset and very disappointed with the installation but figured no sense in yelling and screaming at them. They did their best under the circumstance. It was inconvenient but you deal with it. No Z from from Thursday night thru Sunday morning. In the end, the car now runs great! Love it. The OG tech Lou had opened his own business and is no longer there. That was the red flag and I missed/ignored it.

Dreadnaught · 05-10-2014, 12:41 AM

If anyone is looking for a good dealer to take their Z to, I recommend to go to West Covina Nissan. I have been going there for over four years and have never had to kickback my car to them.

If anyone decides to go there request Master technician Jeff Allen. He is awesome! He gets the job done in a timely manner and is very careful with your car as to not scuff it up, or, blemish your car in any manner as well.

370Z JT · 05-10-2014, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by axmea?

I no longer recommend Lou and Amplified Motorsport. I've been to his shop for my suspension and intakes so I had good experience prior to this and this time, it was disastrous.

Here's what happened.

This took place just before Thanksgiving '201 when my GB NST pulley arrived. It was an install gone bad. Took more than 20 minutes to get the car up on their lift. This should have been a signal for me to say stop, I'm leaving. But I was there before. As for the installation itself, the battery terminal was not undone. For some reason, they shorted when the tech's wrench grounded and zapped a hole on the oil filter cooler, sparks went flying around and I went oh sh!t. All the coolant leaked out. Tech error. He said he thought about taking the terminals off but did not say anything. I heard from the lead tech that the Lou wanted to weld the hole shut. Lead tech said no not a good idea and asked to get a part instead (thanks lead tech Naoki - owns drift101 - drift school). No parts to be found in short notice. Special order item. No dealer had it in stock. They decided to bypass the oil cooler so I can get home -- a temporary solution. Fine I can come back Saturday to install the replacement oil cooler. When they were done with the pulley install, the car would not start. Key light went on! They checked the fuses and did not find anything. They seriously thought the incident triggered the steering lock issue. Car sat overnight. Oil cooler replacement arrived late Friday. They eventually discovered the fuse that kept the car from starting. They missed it the first time they went over all fuses. They had to replace the fuse assembly to get car started. Glad to find it was not the steering lock issue. It should not be affecting later model Z's. Since the cooler was replaced, they replaced the oil and filter and began bleeding late in the day. I just had my oil changed the past weekend with Amsoil Synth and Amsoil filter. They used Eneos and K&N. Not a fan of K&N but oh well. It is what it is. They could not work on bleeding the car again until late Saturday (tech had an appointment and can work late afternoon on Saturday). Car was finished late Saturday. I was picked up Sunday AM to by the tech to pick up the car.

What normally took 1 hour at the most to complete took 2.5 days because they failed to protect the car by taking off the terminals from the battery, replacement parts took time, tech could not work early Sat AM due to a prior commitment. Oil cooler and the starter fuse assembly took a long time to find. They tried their best to get it fixed. Started with one error. The pulleys were done quickly. Had it not been for grounding out and zapping a hole on the cooler, it would have been fine and zero issues. Again, they did their best to figure it out.

Because of the trouble, they did not charge me for the install. I know they really felt terrible about what happened. I got upset and very disappointed with the installation but figured no sense in yelling and screaming at them. They did their best under the circumstance. It was inconvenient but you deal with it. No Z from from Thursday night thru Sunday morning. In the end, the car now runs great! Love it. The OG tech Lou had opened his own business and is no longer there. That was the red flag and I missed/ignored it.

Yea that OG tech was good. What was his name and what's the new business?

axmea? · 05-10-2014, 02:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 370Z JT

Yea that OG tech was good. What was his name and what's the new business?

His name is Ken. The last thing I heard was he runs/owns an e-cigarette store somewhere in San Diego.

Apoc370z · 06-15-2014, 12:07 AM

My friend just opened a shop in Chino so anyone in the LA or San Bernardino County that is looking for a trust worthy shop then feel free to hit him up.

He used to be a master mechanic for BMW but decided to explore other options and opened up his own shop. Very honest and professional guy that doesnt BS. The shop might be small (2 bays and lifts) but he is using state of the art equips. He can do almost anything on any models. Tell him Adam recommended him, and he might hook you up with some discounts.

Contant:
Kevin Huang
Tel:909.964.6515

13615 12th St Suite D,
Chino, California 91710

Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/avantgardeautomotive

Some pics of my KW suspension and SPL parts installation

11-15-2013, 07:19 PM	#167 (permalink)
Waiz A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: SoCal Posts: 9,262 Drives: Z33 & GE8 Rep Power: 459	Auto Explosion is pretty much the best shop you can go to for any auto body related stuff They work on all of my friends cars so you can go there with complete confidence of their competence DEpointfive0 likes this.

03-06-2014, 06:20 PM	#169 (permalink)
Apoc370z A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2011 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 999 Drives: 2011 GM z34 Rep Power: 15	Just got my car detailed by Joe (Owner) at Superior Shine. Car was dirty as F due to the rain and the semi flooded canyon road i took to work. Car looks brand new again so just giving a shoutout to Joe at Superior Shine and you guys can contact him if you are not able to wash/detail the Z yourself. Tel: 1-800-414-7446 website: www.SuperiorShine.com JaviZ likes this.

03-06-2014, 06:48 PM	#170 (permalink)
TerribleONE A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Socal Posts: 10,203 Drives: WOT Rep Power: 5850	Anyone know someone who rolls fenders? __________________ 638WHP 541WTQ @ 13.5PSI Build thread

03-08-2014, 12:09 PM	#172 (permalink)
cames4 Base Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Santa Clarita, CA Posts: 63 Drives: 2014 Z-Touring Stick Rep Power: 15	So.Cal Tuner Recommendation I do not often write reviews; that is unless I experience either horrible or outstanding service. I recently visited “Specialty-Z” in Chatsworth, CA, a tuner shop who specializes in Nissan vehicles. I worked with Sebastian (SEB) who, when I approached him, asked me a lot of questions about what I wanted him to do, my driving style, and expectations. I found him to be a genuine professional, one who is focused more on the customer than trying to upsell his services and components. I must have received 20 emails from him keeping me informed about the schedule, and making sure we were still tracking with each other. Let me just say that as a former mechanic I had the most outstanding experience ever. I rarely experience someone who exceeds my expectations but in this case, he knocked the ball out of the park. I could not be happier. I have decided to drop my current shop and exclusively use Specialty-Z. He completed the work ahead of schedule, washed the car, and spent a lot of time going over the equipment and mapping instructions. In my honest opinion, no one compares to this shop. Work completed; Stillen cold air intake, oil cooler, Fast Intentions exhaust, and tune. TerribleONE, OMGWTFBBQ, 370Z JT and 7 others like this.

03-18-2014, 04:18 AM	#175 (permalink)
BeemaaZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Irvine, CA Posts: 2,594 Drives: 40thAE#472 Rep Power: 508	Can anyone recommend a SMOG place in North Orange County? Thanks __________________ SoCal 40th Meet Old & New Mods Steering Lock RECALL**** Own 40th 370Z? Get the build # and the Manuf. date here

03-08-2014, 03:11 PM	#173 (permalink)
Z370Z011 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Los Angeles CA Posts: 1,052 Drives: PearlWhite 370z 6MT Rep Power: 15	Didn't even know of this thread till now. I'll definitely be using some of the referenced shops!

03-08-2014, 05:07 PM	#174 (permalink)
NismoNox Base Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 243 Drives: 12 NISMO 370z #0277 Rep Power: 11	I've always used Pro-1 Performance in Pico Rivera, they really take care of my car and last time I went for an oil change, I saw a R34 getting suspension done.

05-08-2014, 01:54 AM	#176 (permalink)
axmea? A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,235 Drives: WELL ZED PW 6MT Rep Power: 53241	I no longer recommend Lou and Amplified Motorsport. I've been to his shop for my suspension and intakes so I had good experience prior to this and this time, it was disastrous. Here's what happened. This took place just before Thanksgiving '2013 when my GB NST pulley arrived. It was an install gone bad. Took more than 20 minutes to get the car up on their lift. This should have been a signal for me to say stop, I'm leaving. But I was there before. As for the installation itself, the battery terminal was not undone. For some reason, they shorted when the tech's wrench grounded and zapped a hole on the oil filter cooler, sparks went flying around and I went oh sh!t. All the coolant leaked out. Tech error. He said he thought about taking the terminals off but did not say anything. I heard from the lead tech that the Lou wanted to weld the hole shut. Lead tech said no not a good idea and asked to get a part instead (thanks lead tech Naoki - owns drift101 - drift school). No parts to be found in short notice. Special order item. No dealer had it in stock. They decided to bypass the oil cooler so I can get home -- a temporary solution. Fine I can come back Saturday to install the replacement oil cooler. When they were done with the pulley install, the car would not start. Key light went on! They checked the fuses and did not find anything. They seriously thought the incident triggered the steering lock issue. Car sat overnight. Oil cooler replacement arrived late Friday. They eventually discovered the fuse that kept the car from starting. They missed it the first time they went over all fuses. They had to replace the fuse assembly to get car started. Glad to find it was not the steering lock issue. It should not be affecting later model Z's. Since the cooler was replaced, they replaced the oil and filter and began bleeding late in the day. I just had my oil changed the past weekend with Amsoil Synth and Amsoil filter. They used Eneos and K&N. Not a fan of K&N but oh well. It is what it is. They could not work on bleeding the car again until late Saturday (tech had an appointment and can work late afternoon on Saturday). Car was finished late Saturday. I was picked up Sunday AM to by the tech to pick up the car. What normally took 1 hour at the most to complete took 2.5 days because they failed to protect the car by taking off the terminals from the battery, replacement parts took time, tech could not work early Sat AM due to a prior commitment. Oil cooler and the starter fuse assembly took a long time to find. They tried their best to get it fixed. Started with one error. The pulleys were done quickly. Had it not been for grounding out and zapping a hole on the cooler, it would have been fine and zero issues. Again, they did their best to figure it out. Because of the trouble, they did not charge me for the install. I know they really felt terrible about what happened. I got upset and very disappointed with the installation but figured no sense in yelling and screaming at them. They did their best under the circumstance. It was inconvenient but you deal with it. No Z from from Thursday night thru Sunday morning. In the end, the car now runs great! Love it. The OG tech Lou had opened his own business and is no longer there. That was the red flag and I missed/ignored it. BeemaaZ and DEpointfive0 like this. __________________ >MyZ's Album< NISMO Convert/ECUTEK/Takeda CAI/F.I. HFC NR CB Carbon/F.I. 34 Row Oil Cooler/4.08 Final Drive /Powertrix+Swifts/Hotchkis/SPL/Whiteline/TWM/Zoom Engineering/EVO-R/AeroJacket Vented CF Fenders + CF Spoiler/Avant Garde-WORK/NST/Morimoto Halo/STi Clear Lenses/Carbon Signal Automotive/RJM Performance/ZSpeed Clutch Flywheel CSC delete Last edited by axmea?; 05-10-2014 at 02:31 AM.

05-10-2014, 12:41 AM	#177 (permalink)
Dreadnaught Track Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Farmington, Utah Posts: 582 Drives: 14 SR 370z 6MT Rep Power: 10139	If anyone is looking for a good dealer to take their Z to, I recommend to go to West Covina Nissan. I have been going there for over four years and have never had to kickback my car to them. If anyone decides to go there request Master technician Jeff Allen. He is awesome! He gets the job done in a timely manner and is very careful with your car as to not scuff it up, or, blemish your car in any manner as well. BeemaaZ likes this. __________________ Ford Diesel and Heavy Line Technician at your service.

06-15-2014, 12:07 AM	#180 (permalink)
Apoc370z A True Z Fanatic Join Date: May 2011 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 999 Drives: 2011 GM z34 Rep Power: 15	My friend just opened a shop in Chino so anyone in the LA or San Bernardino County that is looking for a trust worthy shop then feel free to hit him up. He used to be a master mechanic for BMW but decided to explore other options and opened up his own shop. Very honest and professional guy that doesnt BS. The shop might be small (2 bays and lifts) but he is using state of the art equips. He can do almost anything on any models. Tell him Adam recommended him, and he might hook you up with some discounts. Contant: Kevin Huang Tel:909.964.6515 13615 12th St Suite D, Chino, California 91710 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/avantgardeautomotive Some pics of my KW suspension and SPL parts installation Zbrah likes this.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Places to Eat - Nor. Cal	4MYZ370	Northern California Region	1	03-23-2011 07:48 PM
Washing/Drying recommendations	ZEDHEAD	Canada	9	04-21-2009 11:26 PM
Will exhaust work require ECU work to avoid knock?	wstar	Intake/Exhaust	2	03-17-2009 08:34 PM
Places to building speakers	labskaus	Audio & Video	6	03-09-2009 06:47 PM
Los Angeles recommendations for speedshop?	Crash	Engine & Drivetrain	22	01-19-2009 04:28 AM