I just moved from Portland, OR to Berkeley, CA. I've got a 3/4-car garage with no room for even minor work. Can anyone recommend an experienced mechanic in the SF area? (Ideally, close to Berkeley, but I'm prepared to drive a bit if necessary.)

Key thing here is that the mechanic needs to have extensive 914 experience. Sorta like Cap'n Krusty, only in SF.

Thanks in advance.

http://www.highperformancehouse.com/

The owner Rich is a 914 owner/racer and has the most extensive inventory of used 914 in the SF Bay Area. Its in Redwood City off of US 101 south. Figure about under 35 miles from you.

McMark at Original Customs is in Napa

Dave, I would also second high performance house. In addition to HPH being a good shop, he may be interested in buying your TPS boards.
Why Berkeley?

I second Original Customs. Time wise it is about the same. Less traffic to Sonoma + more scenic.

JoeZ at Porboys in Oakland is a long time Porsche mechanic and loves 914s.

Joe is a nice guy, sponsors Porsche events in the area.

Rich at HPH is great too, but Porboys is much closer to you.

website here
Porboys

It's a one hour drive from Berkeley to Sonoma.
Google Map

I've been going to Porboys for several years. He helped with my rebuild and just finished sealing all the leaks in the transmission. He's good at major stuff as well as service, and can work on carbs.

He's just 2 blocks from the Fruitvale Bart station, so dropping of and picking up is easier there than at other places.

Thanks for the recommendation for HPH. Rich did some emergency work on my 914 two years ago on my Portland to LA roadtrip. Replaced a blown muffler, struts, and ball-joint. Had all the parts in stock and put me back on the road in only 2 hours. So he's definitely high on my list of options. I was just hoping to find someone a little closer. I'll check out Porboys in Oakland, but Rich'll be my default if that doesn't work out.

Regarding reason for moving -- I was working as an engineering consultant for about two years. I had some reasonable success -- the first year was slim, but last year I was fully billed for 3 quarters. But in early October, my client started running long on my invoices. About then, I got a call from a former co-worker with a job offer in Oakland, so I thought it was a good time to make a change.

I'm living in Berkeley instead of Oakland because we wanted less authenticity and more liberal bourgeois self-satisfaction.

+1

McMark is a big supporter of 914s and 914world.

I sure hope you did your homework on that one.


It may have been that way in the 60s, but today there's nothing "liberal" about Berkeley anymore.
Them old hippies have made the city a living hell for anyone who doesn't think their way. Good luck ...

I used to live in Berkeley almost three years ago, and I bought a 914 when I was in grad school. Bill Eason at Eason Autoworks became a good friend to me and my car, and he is by far the best mechanic I have ever worked with. Far as I know he is still there, in Emeryville. I live in Boston now and my 914 is in Orlando (slumbering at my parent's house), but if I ever get back to Cali, my 914 will go directly to Bill for a tuneup.

http://www.easonauto.com/ (I took the picture of him and his dog on his website)