[kenpeterson]

Just bought a '93 cab. Previous owner had work done at Black Forest, but their labor rate is soooo high [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/unsure.gif[/img]

Can anyone recommend a small shop in the downtown/Mission Hills area?

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[flash]

i'm sure at least one of the san diego guys will chime in

i can definitely recommend against a shop - pm me a phone number and i'll fill you in

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[rxter]

You the black cab on Cortez Hill?

Yep. Black Forest does a good job but is expensive. I found a guy that did a good job on alignment in Clairmont, and I am working with a 914 racer/mech in Vista. Only had him change the oil and adjust belts so far so I can't really give you a 'recommendation' per se. He seemed reasonably knowledgeable and did have a 944 in the garage, so I am hopeful. Labor rates much more reasonable. I'd like to have an alternative to BF so hopefully this will work out for you as well. Let us know.

Mulligan Racing - 760-945-5991

And welcome - hope to see you on one of the SoCal events soon.

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[nissanite]

Some times SSSSOOOOOO expensive is cheap! My shop (that only works on 2 968's) perpetuated a previous shops mistake & we broke 3 balance shaft belts in 300 miles. A shop that is familiar with you model car can save you lots of money in the long run.

If you can find a recomendation on this forum give them a try. But my opinion is stay where the car has history if only price is the exception.
These are not cheap cars to own but not the worst. Worth every penny.

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[968Syncro]

Ken, I've used Black Forest since about '89 for various Porsches, yes some repairs were expensive, other repairs seemed quite reasonable, the work is good, they are very experienced, and know the 968s very well. But with that many visits for repairs they missed a few things here and there as well (nothing serious, it can happen with any shop). I think their labor rate is $100/hr. They have also helped with phone consultations for the repairs I've done myself, or sold me parts at cost when I couldn't find them locally, or didn't want to wait for shipments, maybe because Jeff knows I've been going there for a long time. A very nice value-add, generally good guys. They did the PPI on my 968 which was right on target.

Also have used "All German Auto" in Escondido a few times, for more lightweight problems, very good results, never a problem, not sure they are any less expensive than Black Forest.

I recall someone recommended "Dieter's Porsche & BMW Services" in central San Diego but I have never used them. For some reason my impression is they are more 911 oriented rather than 944/968 oriented.

Then there is AJ-USA (Sorrento Valley), the founder used to be a big time Porsche racer, but I think I found them to be the most expensive of all. The work seemed OK, but had a couple of things that I didn't like. The guy at the counter was more of a salesman or customer care person rather than a car guy. Once I asked for the old parts back, and the response was they had already thrown them out; well by law the shop has to return the parts! Another time there was a problem, and I said fine let's go back and take a look at it, and the response was "we never allow customers into the work area". Black Forest, all the time, says "come on back and take a look", they invite you to go into the repair area.

Then there is Automotive Excellence in Sorrento Valley, they do all kinds of high end cars, Mercedes, etc. The previous owner of my car used them, spent $1,000s there. But... he had the motor mounts replaced there, the shop didn't know that the 968 tiptronic has different motor mounts than the manual, and had to give the car back to have it done right. A mistake that Black Forest would not have made. Never used them, but are probably not experienced enough on 968s in my opinion.

Last thing to remember, the 968s are not really all that complex for certain systems. So things like brakes, steering, electrical, and other lightweight jobs could be done by any decent and reliable "European Auto" repair shop.

Roland

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[kenpeterson]

No, I'm not Cortez Hill - I am at 5th & Walnut. Not sure if that is officially Hillcrest or Banker's Hill. I actually used to work at Amato's in Sorrento Valley, so I am familiar with AJ USA and Automotive Excellence. It just seems hard to believe that all the good mechanics are north of the 52 (or close to it). I would welcome even a European hole-in-the wall guy downtown recommendation for oil and brakes, just so I don't have to deal with the logistics of dropping it off up north.

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[kenpeterson]

Follow up - Dieter's in the East Village has some decent reviews. The car is in the shop getting the top replaced this week, but I might give Dieter's a shot on a front brake job next week. I know what pads and rotors would cost me, so we'll see what he wan't to charge.

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[rxter]

Take a look at the Porterfield irotor discussions on this board before you go for brakes. Very little dust from the porterfields when new. Also consider the stainless brake lines. While you're in there kind of thing...



Let us know how Dieter works out.

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[Cloud9...68]

I second the recommendations for the Porterfields. Very low dust, and they perform quite well. A little pricey, but worth it.

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[94SilverCab]

If you're doing the S/S brake lines, you should probably install the S/S clutch hose as well. Make s ahuge difference.



Regards,



Jay

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[kenpeterson]

Well the decision was made for me. I only drive the 968 on F-S-S, but coming back to work from lunch today it got a little warm, so I flipped on the A/C. It blew good and cold for 5 min and then smoke started pouring out from under the hood. Burning rubber smoke, not oil smoke (I'm pretty sure). Parked, turned off the A/C and ran it, but still pumping out lots of black, and I couldn't really locate a source. Engine still ran well with no warning lights and exhaust was clean. Anyway, the only place within my 7 mile AAA tow radius was Dieter's so I just got the car in and we will see what they say on Monday. I'm a decent shade tree mechanic, but I confess to not learning as much about my new toy as I should have - work has been crazy since I bought it. I hope I just seized an A/C compressor or alternator and burned some belt. No real signs I blew the engine, so I will keep my fingers crossed....We will see what Dieter's has to say next week. They were awful nice and professional at the shop and gave me a ride home, for what it's worth. Lot of nice cars in there.

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[flash]

dieter's has been around for a long time - most people i know who have gone there have had a good experience

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[rxter]

Roland have you used these dudes? Let us know how the rates look. I'm always looking for a good shop that won't bleed me more than the brakes.

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[968Syncro]

No, I've never used Dieter's but it seems to me that they have been around a long time, just going from memory, probably 3-4 decades or more. Really no change on my knowledge of San Diego repair shops from what I wrote above. I suggest doing a search on "dieter's porsche san diego" and see what pops up from other forums, yelp, etc.



Roland

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[kenpeterson]

Good news and bad - water pump seized. Needs new pump, rollers and belts. Also, cam gear rear cover threads are stripped. Total $2755. That seems pretty high, so I will need to look at the parts prices and shop the work around some <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/sad.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

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[bombfactory]

In my experience, $100 an hour isn't bad at all for a Porsche shop here in SoCal. I'm still looking around for a shop more experienced with the 944/968 however, so if anyone has any recommendations in the Orange County area, please chime in.



Ken, was your water pump making any unusual noises prior to grenading? I've got a noise that sounds like its coming from the center front of the engine, that only shows up at about 1750 rpm, and only once the coolant has gotten up to temp. No one has pinpointed it yet and I'm guessing it's the water pump.



-Austin

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[kenpeterson]

No warning at all. I was just cruising the parking lot looking for a space and black smoke stared pouring out from under the hood. If it had been oil smoke and the engine had started blowing oil I would have driven it into the bay right then! Dieters came down to $2400. $600 for a water pump is just silly. Looks like I will have it back next week in time for the Detail Day.

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[flash]

that is a lot for a water pump - good luck though - it should be good when it's all done, and you'll be ahead of the game on the belts

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[DaveN]

"$600 for a water pump is just silly."

Just a bit, I paid 140.00 on eBay for a brand new OEM. We just had that discussion when Langley968's pump went last week.

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[rxter]

BTW I am working with a new guy in North County. He seems quite knowledgeable as he has owned a 968 since 1997 - second owner - apparently he has rebuilt the Torsen unit. Assuming that he does a good job with my hoses (easy Dan) I'll see if I can convince him to pay us a visit here. As an owner, mechanic, and business owner he should fit right in.

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