Classic Design

David is the kind of business owner you hardly run into these days any more. Completely genuine, honest, friendly, and caring. I was having trouble with my cars control arm and my neighbor who is basically a full auto mechanic on the side said David is who he goes to when there’s something he can’t fix and that they are good friends. David took a look, and confirmed one arm was totally shot and the other was on its way out. He told me exactly what he would charge for labor and time, the cost of the parts, and where he buys them. His costs were very reasonable. Said the decision was completely up to me, he never once pressured me. I’m on a super tight budget so I had to tell him I had to wait on the repair for now. He was totally easy going about it all when I picked the car up and didn’t even charge for the check out. Because of this experience this is where I’ll be going for all my future repair needs.

If I could give David 10 out of 5 stars, I would. My wife scraped rear passenger door on her 2015 Mazda CX-​5. I’ve always had less than great experiences with auto repair shops and body shops in particular. My friend Daniella (who also left a review here) mentioned how happy she was with her experience at Classic Design, so I went straight there. David gave me a great rate, by my estimate it was less than half of what most shops would charge. A day later, I received a call to pick it up. The scrape was repaired, paint (3 stage pearl!) was matched perfectly. There was however something that most people would not notice: Mazda has designed the CX5 doors with a prominent line on the bottom of the door. The scrape was few inches below that line, but it pulled the metal above the line ever so slightly, creating a ding that was only visible at certain angles. It was hard to see on a white car, and I failed to mention it when I dropped off the car. Therefore, it wasn’t repaired along with the scrape. I decided that the repair was good enough for the price, so I paid and picked up the car. But being the person that I am, it bothered me a lot. I ended up going back to David that day and asked him to redo it. I realized that it was partly my fault the imperfection was missed, so I offered to pay extra. He had me come back in a week (the paint had to dry). A day later I went to pick it up, and it was perfect! He ended up having to paint the door again after repairing the ding, which is very labor-​intensive. When I asked him what I owed him for the additional work, he said nothing! Only after I insisted he agreed to take a very small additional payment. After years of feeling ripped off at auto shops, for the first time I felt that I paid too little (!) for the exceptional work done on my car!
Fellow Unilocalers, please treat David fairly — do not let him undercharge you.

Classic Design did a tremendous job on all areas damaged on my 2011 Nissan Titan. In fact, my whole family has been going to him for years and David always over-​delivers.
David gives fair prices and delivers exceptional results. There’s no shortage of attention to detail. My car looked very fresh with no sign of repair as if I drove off the new car lot. I’m also usually overly meticulous and critical of others’ work so it’s usually a disappointment when I look over any kind of work — not the case here.
There are flashier auto body centers with a cutting edge look, but I’m not so sure they produce the same kind of results as Classic does AND you have to pay more for them. David won’t break your bank account and he has been very ethical in his dealings and communication. These people have the auto repair craft mastered and you will be pleased.

David did a fast, professional, and courteous job replacing the stock exhaust T-​Pipe on my Porsche Cayman S with an aftermarket X-​Pipe NHP system. He made time for me on a Saturday with short notice and had the job done in no time and at very reasonable price. He knows his cars and I would definitely recommend his services.

5 stars PLUS. Everyone in our family has been taking their cars for service to David for years. We each own different car makes and models and David takes good care of them all. If honesty is the best policy, David is that best policy. He tells the truth — just as it is. Experience high quality customer service for yourself next time your car needs a fix! And the price is always unbeatable! Oh, and for animal lovers, Smokey the German Shepherd will be happy to retrieve the ball and play! If angels were mechanics, this car shop is the paradise!

David is the best kept secret in town where skilled and dedicated owner works on the cars himself! My whole family been his loyal customers for years and I drove here all the way from San Jose to see what the fuss is all about and address all my automotive needs. Car restoration has become my newly found hobby, but nobody knows cars like David. He is truly The Car Guru when it comes to any complex repairs and perfectly done body work at amazing prices! Real down to earth guy and exceptional master. Thanks for everything man!

There are endless choices among shops out there, but for me there is only one that can do the job right! What makes this shop different from any other is simple — David is the reason I keep on coming back! He is very professional, reliable, honest about the assessments, extremely knowledgeable in both mechanics/​bodywork and absolutely fair when it comes down to pricing. He went above and beyond to help me out with both of my cars, giving me a deal that could not be beaten! Unlike other mechanics that wanted to overcharge me for some bogus repairs, he told me exactly what was and wasn’t wrong with the cars and gave me a real price without any surprises. Thank you David for being an honest mechanic and a descent person!
PS: If you ever want to thank him, David loves his double cappuccinos and fresh pomegranates!
— Peace SB

David is wonderfully honest and having since moved to LA I still try to get back to him to fix my car. There have even been times that I call in to the shop and tell him my «symptoms» and he will give me an range of possibilities so that when I go to a mechanic in LA I know what to expect and can go in with a little knowledge so as not to be taken advantage of. I highly recommend Classic Design and suggest that you ask for David.

They also do mechanic work! I drive my car here from LA to have them work on it. I save hundreds. So far they have replaced a thermostat, fixed my a/​c, replaced control arm bushings, replaced breaks/​rotors on my 2002 325CI. All the work has been great. You will not be disappointed. Take your car here if you don’t have hundreds to blow at Santa Barbara Auto Group.