DIY Shop Review in SoCal

[Fried_Chicken]

I just got done working at Your Dream Garage (http://www.urdreamgarage.com) in Baldwin Park, CA.

I drove all the way from Newport Beach to work at this place.
He charges $25/hour, and for that you get a lift and access to all sorts of specialized equipment to work on just about any project.
The tools are super neatly laid out and super clean. The lifts are new and work very well. All the equipment you could need is there. This really is DIY at its best! No more wishing you had the right tool, no more crawling like an animal, no more compromises in your DIY work.

I will add this warning, if you mess something up catastrophically, it's on you to fix it.

That being said, in the three hours I was there I flushed the brake fluid (he had the special tools to do it), changed the engine oil and filter, changed the manual transmission fluid*, and changed the differential oil.
Having the lift and the right tools makes everything easier, I cannot emphasize that enough.
I highly recommend this place.
Here is his his shop on yelp:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/your-dream-garage-diy-auto-shop-baldwin-park
I didn't read through the reviews, but from scanning real quick I'll say they align pretty well with my experience. You might want to take the reviews with a small grain of salt, b/c he offers a 20% discount on your next visit if you leave a yelp review.

*After I drained the MT fluid, I noticed I had royal purple Gear oil but not synchromax.
I'm not sure if it made a difference, but the owner (Chance) agreed to drive me to o'reilly's and auto zone to see if I could get the right one. Unfortunately neither had the right oil so I bought some Motul oil from him (could have saved the trip).

[NorCalZman]

Seems neat. They even say in their FAQ that they offer a few minutes do advice or guidance, which is good. Otherwise I am sure they'd have a lot of people stuck on those lifts. Haha


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[johnrando]

I've heard good things about this place, glad your experience matched that. Thx for the review.

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[Vas]

Thats pretty cool actually.

[danewilson77]

I love the idea.

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[bloodspatteranalyst]

Thanks for posting this. At $15/hr for the "work station" (same as the $25/hr, but no lift), I can see myself going here for simpler work.

I would invest in my own equipment, but I have no idea where I would store all the stuff as a college student in a shared apartment. haha.

[QC_ZHP]

Thanks for posting this. At $15/hr for the "work station" (same as the $25/hr, but no lift), I can see myself going here for simpler work.

I would invest in my own equipment, but I have no idea where I would store all the stuff as a college student in a shared apartment. haha.

I've done it and it sucks lol. I rent a townhouse with a roommate now and most of my closet is toolboxes and car parts.

[derbo]

Seems neat. They even say in their FAQ that they offer a few minutes do advice or guidance, which is good. Otherwise I am sure they'd have a lot of people stuck on those lifts. Haha


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Lifted out in Fremont, CA does this as well. There are others in the Bay Area. :)

[bloodspatteranalyst]

I just went here yesterday to do my oil change. I could've used the "workstation" (jack stands and floor jack) for $15/hr, but figured it would be a lot easier on time (and my body) to lift it up. They charge $25/hr for the lift, or $10 per 15 min interval if you don't use the whole hour.

Took me a whole hour since it was the first time I've ever done it. Shouldn't take more than 30 min the next time I do it.

But yeah, Chance (sp?) and his girlfriend/wife/SO run the place and they were pretty helpful. They DO expect you to know what you're doing, so there's very little supervision. They just teach you how to operate the lift and then let you go on your way. You don't need to bring any tools, though it's best to check with them before coming in.

Overall a great shop. Will come back for the transmission service I'm about to do. This shop is great for underbody work, and for people like me that don't have space in their homes to store a bunch of car tools (floor jack, jack stands, etc.).

[Trans]

Does anyone know if there is a similar place in Sac?