I purchased a rebuilt L28 engine from California Datsun with engine upgrades. When engine was shipped there was questions about billing and the number of upgrades. I have no idea what has been done to this engine other than the engine leaks a lot of oil. I also purchased a rebuilt 280Z transmission with no reverse lock out arm installed (hard to find). The transmission synchro's grind in 2nd and 3rd and reverse sounds like a coffee grinder. Please do not purchase any rebuilds from this person, his mechanics have no clue what they're doing! If they truly rebuilt these things at all? read more

One of the many great suppliers in the Datsun world. Easy to get on the phone, and they were able to get some of the parts that no one else could! I recommend California Datsun with no reservations! read more

Took a 240z there for warranty work from an engine that was purchased from them. Had a bad oil leak from a plug on back of cylinder head that was JB welded. Also, the engine crankshaft has an issue causing the clutch to not be positioned to the throw-out bearing. Al the owner is denying anything is wrong and will not hold up to the 90 day warranty we were issued for purchasing the rebuilt engine. Another major problem is that when the car was returned the fuel lines were loose and leaking fuel. read more

Would leave 0 stars if possible. Horrible company to do business with. Al swears he knows everything about Datsuns but that is far from it. Sold me a set of Wilwood brakes horrible horrible rotors. When the brakes didn't fit on my car he says that is the fault of my car and not his and when I went for a return it took over 30 days and I did not receive my $3,000+ refund. It's a good thing I charged the order to my credit card and was able to charge it back to get my full money back. Funny thing is he didn't even argue my cc dispute because he knew he was wrong. Defiantly never going to do any business with this company in the future and I would recommend everyone to do their due diligence before dealing with Al and his shady business practices. He runs his "business" out of his backyard in the middle of no where, that should've been the first red flag. Also has someone living in the backyard in a trailer? Just all bad. Stay as far away from this company as possible. Also this isn't a fake review I have receipts and photos to provide if necessary. According to Al "100% satisfaction guarantee" is fake. read more

I was skeptical as it was my baby a long time ago. What you have done is beyond spectacular, beyond my imagination. The attention to ALL details was something special. I will for sure be cruising in style and looking for my next car for you make alive again. I thank you Al, my family thanks you for preserving a part of our history. read more

First time internet orderer of this size. I was apprehensive.. it was a good deal and a good size of money for me. I ordered a 620 L18 engine rebuilt. I even visited his shop before i purchased it. No glitter. It was a working shop and a gold mine of hard to find parts. Deal was straight forward. If your into 620's this is the place. No fancy talking. I got my engine. Im totally happy with the work and engine.. Al was square with me on the deal. Its just nice to go with your gut and have faith that folks are who you think they are.. Thanks.. read more

Al is truly a stand up guy if you need anything I wouldn't hesitate to give him a call I also enjoy that he has a beautiful Datsun of his own Al and California Datsun are the best kept secrets for enthusiasts like myself read more

I bought a close ratio 5 speed from Al. By the time I got it the 90 day warranty had less than thirty days left and my credit card purchasing insurance expired. I had it professionally installed to find 2nd gear made terrible noises and would not stay in gear. I also paid to have it removed. I sent it back and Al said there is nothing wrong with it. Dealing with Al has been one of the most frustrating and expensive mistakes I have made during my restoration project. DO YOUR RESEARCH, unlike me. read more

I have to say a big thank you to Al Allan at California Datsun. He really stepped up when I needed his service.I had an L28 that I needed a rebuild on. Called around and priced everyone out. Not only was he fair on his price, he was the quickest to respond. When rebuilding the block, I made a very last minute change to paint the block red. Most of the time people would go crazy and try to charge more, not only did he take the last minute request, but also upgraded me to flat top pistons at no extra charge. My mechanic looked over the work thoroughly and said there was not a single flaw with the work. We threw it in and the car started and ran without hesitation. Big thumbs up to Al and California Datsun! read more

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Al from California Datsun is my "GO TO" guy when it comes Datsun Z's. I was fortunate to pick up a 280z and 260z, I contacted Al and worked out a plan and a budget for a new engine. Al got to work and when he was finished doing his magic, it was a work of art and I couldn't be happier. The one thing that I really appreciated was that being a 44 year old car there were things that needed to be replaced. Al would always let me know my options and in some cases replaced or upgraded at no cost. I couldn't be happier with the look and performance. I can't wait to get the 260z over to him. read more

Untrustworthy shop, stay away. I purchased carbs for my z from them. carbs would not work when installed. Took car to shop thinking I had done something wrong. shop informs me that my carbs I just had installed had a build up of corrosion in the float blows and cracked floats. they recommend a full rebuild on carbs. When contacting Al regarding issue he insisted he never sold me items and refused to give mY money back horrible shop, dishonest man. highly recommend staying away from this shop "specialist" read more

Al is not the truly stand up guy as mentioned in the previous review. I find it interesting there are only two reviews of this place and one of them is the owner. If Al was such a stand up guy, there wouldn't be the need for a Facebook group titled "California Datsun Inc. Sucks" with 33 members who have been done wrong one time or another by Al Allen. That group lays out the numerous name changes this business has had and illustrates with photographs the products customers have received from this establishment. It's disturbing to say the least. My experience with Al is like so many others where parts are ordered, they aren't shipped when he stated they would be (it's in writing in a text) and when the package arrives, parts are missing. Again, like so many others, no more contact from Al. Who wants a project sitting on hold because you're waiting on parts that should already be in your possession? Instead, you're forced into rebuttal processes with eBay, PayPal and possibly your bank or credit card company if you went that route. It's truly unacceptable and disappointing when this guy has an opportunity to excel since the number of vendors for these cars is very limited. Do yourself a favor and research Al and California Datsun Inc before you send your money here. Al will come on here and post his rebuttal for my individual purchase and that is fine. The fact of the matter is there's countless other customers who are out thousands of dollars after buying parts from Al. read more

Al of California-Datsun is a scam artist. They are resellers of some Datsun parts, and do not check or guarantee these parts. I was sold a differential that was supposed to be limited-slip, but it is actually an open diff. I spent $1,000 on a part worth less than $400, because I trusted his word through an eBay transaction. I have just recently been able to install the part, and now I'm out of the "warranty" window and left with an overpriced hunk of junk. If you want the truth on California-Datsun check out numerous forums (Ratsun, HybridZ, etc.) or check the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/avoidCaliforniaDatsun/ to get an idea on the "quality" of Al's work. Any business that has had to change names or eBay seller IDs multiple times has done so in order to hide a poor reputation. Would give zero stars if possible! read more

i found this company to be very dislikeable. i had ordered a cylinder head for my car from California Datsun and on opening the box and inspecting the cylinder head it was cracked and painted over. when question about the paint being on the crack the owner said that it was done to all parts that are shipped. when i question the crack instead of taking responsibility for the head he blamed it on the shipping company. now im no expert but if a drop hard enough to crack a head happened would there not be a dent in the head? photos where taken and head was shipped back. after talking to the owner i was told that my replacement would be shipped the next week. 3 weeks later i got my replacement. no shocker on inspection i found that the rocker arm was not placed on correctly. in all i will not be spending my money with this place again. i would say take your time and find a better place to shop for your classic car. read more

I bought a "rebuit" 5 spd from them. Synchros are shot and there's metal in the oil. I had to tear it back out and spend another $1K to have it done right. read more

I made my first purchase from california datsun a few days ago and all i ordered was a can of datsun grey metallic paint that i was pretty dissapointed with, the color didnt match very well. It looks exactly like regular pewter made by duplicolor and it cost me 5 times as much. They also sent me a second can by accident so i called to tell the owner and just got off of the phone with Al and he told me i that he is going to make me pay for the second can and only charge me half price or i can can send it back. I told him in not going to go threw the trouble to send some way to expensive spray paint back and he said i should do the right thing and pay for it so i told him he should do the right thing and let it go and let me keep it because it was his fault. He said ok and hung up on me. I wont be dealing with him again read more

Bought a rebuilt engine. After a few miles (less than 1000) noticed lots of blue smoke. Called Al could not do much. I am in Canada. At the end of first summer only had 1000miles on the engine removed it and brought it to a local shop. Cilinder where not all same size cilinder 1 was smaller. Rings where upside down and in wrong slots. Expander rings where cut (dont know why) they where 1/2 inch to short. Head was poorly rebuilt had to redo all angles and completevalve job. So not trustable. for any rebuilt engine, heads, trany ... read more

This place is great. Always there to answer your questions. I ordered some parts and they came fast and I was able to finish my project. Thanks Al, much appreciated. read more