Materials to Maintain Your ZHP IIIII Hand Protection IIIII Tools to Maintain Your ZHP
Amazon Link for ZHPMafia ZHP
Amazon Link for ZHPMafia ZHP
Amazon Link for ZHPMafia ZHP
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  1. #1

    DIY Shop Review in SoCal

    I just got done working at Your Dream Garage 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-g...p-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).

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    Long Beach, CA
    Posts
    1,684
    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


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
    2005 BMW 330i ZHP 6MT. Built 11-19-04. Bought 4-2012.
    Stock: Nav, leather, PDC, Xenon
    Added by me: OEM Alarm, OEM heated seats, OEM aux kit, OEM Bluetooth, intravee, M3 strut brace, BMW Performance Intake, Nappa leather arm rest, updated LCM (triple blink, euro hazards, trifecta lighting, 3 stage brakes), temp gauge

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    18,064
    I've heard good things about this place, glad your experience matched that. Thx for the review.

    Sent from my DROID4 using Tapatalk 2
    Randeaux/Rando/John/jr - '06 Cic ZHP; Southern California
    "ZHP or not, I still like you"


    ZHP Performance Package, Cold Weather Package, Leather, Jet Black/Black/BlackCube, NAV, Anthracite Black "my individual" interior trim
    ESS Stage 1 Twin Screw Supercharger, Sprint Booster, BMW Perf Intake, Magnaflow Exhaust, Dinan TB & STEP S/W, UCC Sway Bars, Apex EC-7 18x8.5 ET38
    Suspension: AST 44100 dampers, Bimmerworld front adjustable end links, Swift springs (8K front, 10K rear), Vorshlag camber plates
    Dynavin D99+, Hardwire V1 (w/V1 Connection), BSW Stage 1 Speakers, Kicker Amp/Subwoofer
    BMW Performance Strut Brace, Orion V2 Angel Eyes, No-holes License Plate, SMG Paddle Shift Mod, Besian VANOS, Gold DISA, Fan Delete, M3 Side Mirrors
    Note: Actual car no longer resembles signature picture

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    22841
    Posts
    9,943
    Thats pretty cool actually.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 1970
    Location
    Liberty Township, OH
    Posts
    37,987
    I love the idea.

    Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
    Call Me Dane l 2/2004 330i ZHP l 18x8 ET45 BBS CK's wrapped with Michelin Pilot Sport AS3+ @ 245-40-18 l KW V1 Coilovers in front l KW V1 springs w/ Bilstein B8 dampeners in rear l BMW Performance Rotors l UUC StrutBarbarian l Racing Dynamics Rear Strut Bar l Jim Conforti Shark Injector l Light Birch Interior Trim l Bimmian Celly Mount l M3 Trunk Mat l l e90 Performance E-Brake & Shift Knob l M3 Tri-Stitched Boots l AL Headlight Retrofit with ZKW Lenses l CobyWheel Wrap w/M3 Stitching l LCM sw 4.5 triple blink and rear fogs l Maple Interior Trim

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    101
    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.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Charlotte, NC
    Posts
    1,255
    Quote Originally Posted by bloodspatteranalyst View Post
    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.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    San Francisco, CA
    Posts
    6,847
    Quote Originally Posted by NorCalZman View Post
    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


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

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

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Los Angeles, CA
    Posts
    101
    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.).


    2005 330Ci Sparkling Graphite AT

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    62
    Does anyone know if there is a similar place in Sac?

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