I love this shop! It's a smallish shop in an industrial "mall" close to the Great Mall. They have a small office and a garage with several long-term projects. As others have noted, they do work on an appointment basis only. At first glance, their quarters seem a little cramped, but they make very good use of their limited space. Mark and Aki are very knowledgeable about Hondas, but they also do a fair amount of work with Nissans, Toyotas, and Mazdas. I wanted to have a BAR-legal engine swap done in my Civic and took it to Blacktrax to get it done. Aki and Mark, the main mechanics, did a great job...very clean. They advised me of everything I would need to make sure I had a good, BAR'able swap. When I took it into the State Ref to get it BAR'd, it passed the first time. The Ref even commented on how clean the swap was. Nothing mickey-moused, everything was where it should be. They were even able to get my A/C from my D-series on my swap. I've since used them to build my motor (installed cams/intake, exhaust, etc) and had Jei tune the car. Again, a great job. No problems with their work whatsoever. I've personally verified that their dyno (a Dynapac), aka "the heartbreaker", reads about 7% lower than the other Bay Area Dynojets, so be aware of that. People making 200 whp at other Bay Area tuning shops will only be making about 192 here. Not that that matters. I've observed them working and I was impressed at how efficiently and cleanly they work. If they make cuts or drill out something, they immediately clean up after themselves. Look around at their shop floor and you'll see NO metal shavings or random parts littering the work area. Now, they do have lots of parts squirreled away along the sides of the shop, but they're well out of the way of the work area so no worries about your stuff getting mixed up with others'. I've tried a few other Bay Area shops (DNR and Prostreet in Hayward). DNR did some porting and tuning for me...they were good, but not great. Prostreet was...well, sloppy, but I don't want to get into it. Blacktrax stands out above them. I haven't tried DSR although I've heard they're good too. If I had any complaints, it would be that they do their dyno tuning late (after 3pm). This is probably standard practice with tuners as they often share a space with other tenants and dyno tuning can be very loud. But since I come from a distance, it would be nice to get a tune earlier in the day so I can skip the traffic on the way home. read more

The owners at the shop has always given me great advice on what to do to my car and the work they have performed is flawless. I have an 08 Subaru Impreza. The car needed it's fenders rolled. The work was supposed to be done within shop hours, but Jei worked until 9:30pm that night to finish it professionally and looks exactly like OEM. That is about 3 hours after they normally close. I am very VERY happy with the result! All the workers and owners are very nice and fun to be around with. They share great knowledge in automotive work whether it'd be for track or show. I am SUPER glad they took care of me. It's true, they aren't the cheapest, but their prices are very competitive to others and their work shows for it greatly. Who wants cheap terrible work? Get it done right the first time, go to Blacktrax Performance. read more

i'm a self-proclaimed 'car guy', and VERY picky about who does work on my vehicles other than myself. i stumbled upon these folks on the bayareaprelude.com forums when they announced they were having a dyno-day and parts sale. i stopped by for some parts, talked w/jei, natalie, mike and aki to gauge their professionalism. i mentioned i was considering building a honda challenge car from the prelude over a couple of years, and we spoke about engine swaps, timelines, various stages of build to keep in road legal for as long as possible, etc. they were up-front about costs, time, and their recommendations jived with i had already come up with myself. needless to say i was initially impressed, and scheduled an appointment to have a general tune-up/oil change/brake job done on my old car (prelude). when i got the call saying the car was ready, i arrived expexting to just pick it up and leave. instead, i saw my car with the hood up, engine running and surrounded by 3 or 4 mechanics. they went over the entire car with me, step by step, fix by fix and an hour later i finally left. the car ran great, brakes were solid, and they even found some f**k-ups from the previous shop i had used (good thing i trusted my gut and never went back to autoheadquarter again!). and, on top of it, they adjusted both my throttle cable and sunroof free of charge. i'd forgotten to close my sunroof when i dropped it off, and upon closing it they noticed it needed some TLC. since then, i've sold the prelude and bought an rsx-s. the first trip there i mentioned my 3rd gear synchro was grinding and they immediately diagnosed the problem (followup searching on the issue confirmed their conclusions), and suggested i swap out the stick 6th gear for a taller one from the TSX sedan for better highway mileage. since the tranny was going to be pulled, and the part was only $150, i said to go for it. again, their level of work was fantastic. i trust them fully with my cars. to address some concerns raised in other reviews: * they are a busy and small shop. a few honda challenge cars are stabled there and they have lots of custom projects going on. this will affect scheduling and repair length. it's a fact of life, and if you're unwilling to potentially have to wait a week or so for an appointment, then go somewhere else. * every mechanic has positive and negative reviews. my previous mechanics at autoheadquarter really pissed me off w/their attitudes and shoddy work. reading other reviews on yelp shows no one else seems to have had issues. shit happens, and as a customer, you have to be happy with your mechanic. everyone's experience is different. with blacktrax, mine so far happens to be great. * price. yes, they're expensive, but they are also more of a boutique than your general grease monkeys. if you can and are willing to pay, then you should be in for great service. if it's too rich for your liking, there's a pro-star down the street that offers bargain repair prices in addition to shoddy work. :) read more

I have been going to Blacktrax since 2004 when i needed a clutch replacement for my 2001 Honda Prelude. I was first drawn to this shop after meeting the owners at an HIN show. They are extremely knowledgeable and are overall great people. Ever since my first experience, I have not gone to any other shop to do my extreme performance mods. I have gone through at least 1 big project with them each year since 2005. From dropping in an H22 motor in and EK, to installing an Ultimate Racing turbo set-up in my S2000, and to finally building a completely custom turbo set-up which is generating close to 450hp at only 14psi. The people who run the shop are all mechanically inclined and all their traits help to keep the shop running ethically and smooth. From the Nat's business, office, and organization skills, Jei's tuning and engine building, Aki's fabrication, and Mark's racing knowledge. I would not go to any other shop than theirs. In response to getting their projects done before customers, that is a false statement. Blacktrax has always put their customer's cars before their own. Although sometimes jobs may take longer than expected it's usually for good reason (i.e. missing parts, false information when car was dropped off, etc.). Blacktrax is also about getting the car done the right way. So it may take longer than expected, but in the end it's always worth it. read more

This is one of the Great Ones.....Not a couple kids that rented a crappy building in some bad neighborhood and called it a Tuner Shop. They know what they're doing whether its a simple bolt-on install or full build, and they also Tune! They Drag Race, RoadRace, Drift....and know what it takes to succeed at all of the above. Did a great job on my intake manifold, and have helped with issues over the phone several times. Not to mention they have a great Shop-Dog!!! read more

Took my 2006 Honda S2000 for Spoon Rigid Subframe Collars, alignment, and engine mounts. The team provides professionalism and excellent customer service. I recommend this shop to any other S2000 owner. read more

I have been going to Jei for many years. I've known him before the big Y2K scare. Natalie and Jei are both great people but they are also honest. I wouldn't trust my Acura to anyone else, not even ACURA! My 1999 baby means so much to me! Now that I am passing it on to my daughter I know it is a safe car. It's hard to find a good mechanic and an honest one!!!!!!! read more

I cannot say enough good about Jei, Aki, and Natalie, It has been a little while since I have been here, but Blacktrax has been wrenching on my cars for many years. The biggest project for me was a WRX /STI swap into my 2002 Bugeye WRX several years ago. With a donor salvaged STI, the Blacktrax crew swapped out the 2.5 Liter STI engine, 6 Speed Tranny, Rear End Drive Shaft, The Brembos all the way around Axels and probably things I am forgetting. Jei had to build a custom wiring harness and change the STI engine to drive by throttle cable from the drive by wire system. They have also done very comprehensive work on the suspension of my Subie, and last year they totally hooked up my Honda with coilovers, a sway bar, strut tower brace fender/door bracing,and damn! I did not know a front-drive could handle so good. He also hooked up some power adders to my Honda that are nice too. Oh, and FYI- on the STI swap- I picked the car up on the 21st day after I dropped it off, loaded up all my old parts and came back to Bakersfield. Very very timely service. It is 254 miles one way from right in front of my garage in Bakersfield to right in front of Blacktrax' garage in Milpitas. And you can bet I will be back when I get another project. read more

Had a rod knock/ TCT sound pop up on my S2000 and I thought for sure the motor was in need of major repairs. After having it towed there on a Thursday evening it was diagnosed and the repairs began by 11am the next day. This is unheard of everywhere else that I have taken my cars. I'd recommend them to anyone that is searching for honest work to be done on their vehicle and is ready to get it back in a timely manner. read more

I went to Blacktrax to dyno tune a megasquirt ECU. Jei is fantastic. Super friendly and he knows exactly what he's doing. I'd recommend Blacktrax to anyone looking for a high quality dyno tune. Thanks Jei! read more

Excellent customer service and willingness to take the time to explain what they were doing, why they recommended it, and always impressed every time I visit. Since my first visit to the shop all of the staff has been extremely friendly and had no issues taking time to talk with customers. Yes it's busy, and yes the schedule is packed, but Aki and Jei are very good at what they do and are extremely honest and thorough. That's why it's hard to get in, but well worth it. I was recommended to them and I am looking forward to continuing my business and recommendations with the crew at Blacktrax. From simple fuel system upgrades and tuning to the more custom fabrication I saw in other customers cars the work is top notch. Aki and Jei took the time to explain many different options and are very honest with whatever you want to do. Seeing the variety of cars in the shop and the quality of work across the board I can see why they have a respected reputation. read more

I found these guys as a result of seeing a write up in SportsCar magazine. I asked Jei the owner if they could install a motor in my WCTC Mazda Protege racecar. I was initially quoted $1200 to $1500 for labor. I waited a YEAR because they are "so" busy which I thought was a good indication. As it turns out they had no time for me because Jei was rebuilding a totaled WRXsti for his GF. Also there are a bunch of pet projects in the shop. Anyway, I was still optimistic. They struggled with my MOTEC ECU and never could make my car run. In the end I paid for his education because he charged me for all the time he wasted learning my MOTEC. $4000 for labor and in the end the motor he installed would not run. I ended up transporting the car back to TriPoint (factory Mazda WCTC Team) who originally built it and they undid the mess. $3100 tune up at TriPoint discovered that 1 of the 2 coils was dead. Also the axles did not have the retaining clips installed inside the differential. Engine was missing 2 motor/tranny mounts, power steering pump and other accessories not properly mounted. If you have a garden variety civic these guys might be okay but hear this loud and clear. THEY ARE A RIP-OFF and at best AMATEUR MECHANICS. $4000 labor for a simple motor install in a stripped racecar and then delivered it NON running -- I had no choice but to pay because of the mechanics lien. I was not even aware of how terrible their skills till the mechanics at Tripoint showed me all that was wrong which was reflected in their $3100 bill for fixing these problems. I now have a great running car thanks to TriPoint and knowledge that Blacktrax are hobbyists at best. read more

I highly recommend Blacktrax. I had a great experience w/ the customer service and quality work provided by Aki and Jae. They performed a b18 swap on my civic sedan back in 2003 and converted it from auto to manual transmission. They also did a LS1 swap in my RX7 several years ago, which is another piece of quality work. They know their shit! read more

First time in 12 years of ownership that I took my s2000 in to a shop for work, and these guys are super detailed, responsive, and organized. They also have very deep knowledge of s2000 which is rare and why I brought mine to them for my engine replacement. Thanks! read more

Blacktrax has serviced my daily driver and installed aftermarket parts on my weekend car. Jei, Natalie, Aki, and now James have provided excellent customer service, advice, and expertise. read more

I was having some minor loss of performance issues on my C5 Z06 with an A&A supercharger kit, so I spoke with Aki and he suggested a couple possible things that could be wrong. I addressed those items then came back and we put it on the dyno to see where I was compared to a dyno day run done a couple years earlier. I still had some power loss so I made an appointment with Jei to check the tuning. One little maintenance item, and a few tweeks to the tuning, and its better than it was after the original tune for the supercharger (that tune was done by another shop). Blacktrax provided good insight into potential issues and then through their testing and tuning the car is better than it ever has been. You can't ask for better than that. Oh yea, the price was reasonable too. read more

Brought my self installed mega-squirted bmw e30 into the shop. Jae is unbelievably good tuner. my car have never driven better. the power-band feels silky smooth. The throttle response is crisp like factory tuned. I had another car of mine, mercedes 190e, tuned at another reputable shop a few years back and there is absolutely no comparison. Aki is also an awesome mechanic. Able to diagnose problems with my car very quickly. I have full confidence in guys here. Thanks! read more

this place used to be good, and then jei started travelling. i told aki to build be a type sh transmission axle shaft plate he said 300 dollars and i was in a rush. so, i said sure 1 week later still no plate. i took my transmission back and made one out of carbon steel for 10 bucks. it took me a while for measuring but actually making one takes only a few seconds. read more

I was referred to Jei at BlackTrax by two automotive specialists & one was from Skunk2, which has a reputation that sets the standard for above average work. I recently had some costly worked done at BlackTrax by their Master Mechanic & Fabricator Aki and the work was tuned by Jei. I was impressed by their work and attention to detail. Jei has continued to work with me to fine tune my vehicle for optimum performance and he definitely shows a passion for the trade. The overall work and customer service is easily 5 stars & I've recommended dozens of automotive enthusiasts to BlackTrax over the past month. Keep up the excellent work BlackTrax and I'll continue to refer who wants excellent work done. read more

I was referred there by a few friends and It took me a while to get on the schedule because of the upcoming races that they had on their calendar already. Once I got in and James had a few parts to order for me I got on the calendar. They tuned my '93 Miata up on the dyno and got me 15 more horsepower. This car hums now! They called me a few days after I had my car back to check how everything was running. Great customer service and great tune as well! read more

I would highly recommend this shop to just about anyone. I had an appointment to have my B16 turbo tuned at 5 on a Monday. I took the car off the trailer and immediately they noticed 2 fuel injectors were leaking. They quickly disassembled the fuel rail and replaced the o-ring for each injector. They also pointed out that my IAT sensor was in the wrong location. Fortunately I had a sensor from a type r on hand. Blacktrax gave me a sensor adapter from a gsr/type r harness, cut, soldered, heat shrunk and wrapped the wiring at no charge. With the IAT sensor moved we had to weld up the intercooler piping. While they mounted the car on the dyno I took the pipe off, then had them weld up the hole and add a bung for a vacuum fitting. With all the loose ends tied up the tuning began. Jei is a straight up scientist when it comes to tuning. My car didn't run at all when it got there, but after a few hours of turing the car left running like a champ. Jei and his crew stayed until 10 that night making sure my car left the way it should. These guys know what they are doing. Jei explained everything that was going on the entire time. I will be coming back for any performance needs on my Civic or STI. Hands down, no questions asked the best service I have ever received at any shop. read more

These guys know their stuff. I highly recommend them, especially for highly modified cars (i.e., turbos, motor swaps, etc.).

Very good service. They installed a downpipe on my 2013 Civic SI and the resulting performance boost is great. Work was completed with attention to detail and on time. read more

This shop seems more interested in getting their own projects worked on then their customers. They do not really specialize in anything and will take ANY job qualified or not. When they cannot complete the job they will make excuses that "they are busy" and will hold your car for months and in some cases a year?!?! Like others have mentioned they are interested only in your money and their own personal cars. The good review are from people that had a full bolt on kit which anyone with an above average auto skills can easily be done in their own garage with no lift. I should have listened to my instincts when they would not let me talk to a mechanic on the phone for technical questions. So I drove out there to ask the personally and he could only give me very general answers and confident promises. If you want performance go to a real performance shop, not to a kid ricer hang out joint. read more