Gavin Autowerks

I have an older BMW and i noticed an oil leak on the ground where i usually park. After having a somewhat bad taste with another mechanic, feeling that he was trying to get me to «fix» something that wasnt the problem, a friend recommended Gavin from Gavin’s Autowerks. I have to say i was quite pleased. After talking with him a little he had me drive up and He lifted the car and had me go under and showed me what was going on. Instead of a very expensive valve gasket, he located the source of the leak to a leaking to the power steering. The time he took to check and his honesty has sold me. He is a great mechanic. I’ve recommended him several times. If you own a German Car, take it to him.

Gavin Autowerks is a one man automotive shop that specializes in the mechanical repair and restoration of air-​cooled Porsche engines (911, 356, 912, 914) but he also works on BMW’s and other fine German automobiles. Gavin is a factory trained specialist who worked for a Bay Area German repair shop for 25 years before he opened up his own business in 2002. When you call Gavin Autowerks, Gavin answers the phone and he does all of the work to your project. He is professional, friendly, courteous and extremely flexible. His philosophy is that «when a car is picked up it should look as it did when it was brand new.»
After speaking with Gavin over the phone for the first time I knew that he was the mechanic I was looking for and that I was going to choose him to work on my project; a 1968 Porsche 912 complete engine rebuild. The nail in the coffin was when he called me back to express how much he wanted to work on my project, that he would build it to my exact specifications and make it look perfect.
I brought a completely disassembled 912 engine and boxes of new parts to be built and Gavin assembled it with beyond meticulous detail and superior quality. We had numerous conversations during the course of the rebuild about parts that were missing and needed replaced and I was given options to buy parts through him or secure them on my own. He consistently dealt with me in an honest and professional manner, made expert recommendations, quickly solved every problem and went above and beyond every step of the way.
If you have a classic German automobile that needs some attention from a simple oil change to a complete engine rebuild/​restoration, I cannot recommend Gavin Autowerks enough.
Five Stars for Gavin Autowerks!

Gavin has serviced several of my cas for years. Very knowledgable, fair and honest. Won’t suggest things that don’t need to be done and will help prioritize any needed repairs if you don’t have the time or the money.
First class shop!

Gavin is a great mechanic to work with. Very knowledgable and totally fair pricing.

First rate service… Period.

Gavin is a nice guy, trustworthy, responsive, does a good overall job on European cars. He’s been my go to guy for about 7 years. He’s flexible with time and has a quick turnaroud.
Gavin is more a process mechanic than a detail guy, which means he’s best at solving difficult to determine mechanical issues, fixing motors, etc. Gavin seems less into interior stuff.
I’d say his expertise is primarily in 71 – 89 911 porsche, but also does a competent job with modern german cars, particularly BMWs.

When you take your German car for service, there is always a concern that you will experience some of the following:
A. Unnecessary upsell attempts
B. Difficult communications
C. Overpricing
D. «Trust issues»
Gavin Autowerks is the epitome of old-​school excellent auto service combined with new high tech cars and know-​how. It is a sole proprietor business, which means that Gavin has an unparalleled commitment to ethical service and good will, because he understands that the customer experience IS his business card. Things unheard of in today’s automotive service realm, like expeditious project updates by phone, straight talk, and juggling of HIS schedule to accomodate YOU — are just par for the course with Gavin. He is very knowledgeable, and if you’re a car person, he will explain exactly what has failed, what was required to fix the problem, and why. If you are not a car person and don’t want to know, he’ll tell you how long it will take and you can be on your merry way.
If you are in search of an automotive technician who embodies the most elusive word in today’s world of automotive service — TRUST, you should make this your first stop. It’s like having a good friend service your car, and I can’t think of a higher compliment.
PS — For folks concerned about rental car arrangements for lengthy service engagements, there is an Enterprise Auto Rentals about 0.5 miles away who will come pick you up and drop you off. Handy indeed.