I have a 1977 FJ40 with a SBC conversion; these guys are the only shop of four in South County that actually did what they said they'd do and do it well (engine replacement, etc). I got ripped off by the other three shops that specialized in classic cars, in which they took my money and years of time, but never actually fixed anything long term. Beyond the "specialists,"everyone else in town only works on 1990 and newer vehicles. Finding a place that actually understands how older cars work is a delight. Their labor charge is higher than some shops, but then again older cars are specialized work any more. It's the cost of owning an older car thar one actually drives, and sometimes it is worth having skilled mechanics do the work instead of doing a home repair. All I know is that they have done amazing work for me so far! read more

Orange County C.A.R.S. - Auto Repair Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Run. If you decide to still go here, you did it to yourself. Dishonest. "We don't do any work to the vehicle without your approval first. Do not come in to see your car until I call back" (So I obviously arrived 10 minutes later) Ok, why did you perform this this and this? "We are very thorough" Ok but I didn't want that done. "It needed to be done" But I never wanted that done. You just said you don't perform work until I give approval "Look we are not liars! This is your total for all the work we did" So is my car good now? "No" Uh. Ok. read more

Orange County C.A.R.S. are hands-down the best mechanics in Orange County. Over the years, we've worked with many different shops for our six vehicles, and none have come close to the level of service, professionalism, and expertise that Bryan and his team provide. They've worked on both our classic cars and our daily drivers, and every time, the work is top-notch. You can tell they really care about what they do and take pride in getting things right. Bryan is incredibly knowledgeable and always takes the time to explain things clearly. Highly recommend this shop if you want honest, high-quality work done by people who know their craft. Thank you, Bryan & Eric, for everything you do! Johnny & April read more

I've been a long time customer here. They are very knowledgeable and do high quality work at a reasonable price. read more

Orange County C.A.R.S. - OC Cars in Lake Forest - Auto Repair Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Integrity!! Bryan at OC Cars has made good on all his promises and commitments. Having a shop that displays a high degree of integrity is key when spending hard earned money on repairs. Bryan's shop does great work, but equally important to me is they value their customers and do what they say. Thanks Bryan for the wonderful experience. read more

UPDATE: best to avoid this place. See pictures for why. After completing warranty work on my motor a few years ago, they used silicone to reseal the head gaskets after removing the heads! Not even 5,000 miles on the motor, and the head gasket is leaking. Paid for ARP bolts and found original OEM bolts. Bearings already showing excessive wear (improper machining or parts put on). Brands they told me they used for parts were not used. STAY AWAY read more

Unfortunately had a not so great experience. I talked to them before I made the appointment specifically about what I needed done and gave them the exact model year of the part in question. The appointment was for an axle rebuild (really the key thing) and I also asked them to fire up the new crate motor in the rig. To be fair they did a good job on firing the new crate engine but after they did that work they called me to tell me that they aren't going to do anything on the axles. I wouldn't of brought it there if I knew they were going to decide after the fact they weren't going to do the axles. Not sure why a stock 1974 FJ40 axle was a problem but they should have just said "no" they weren't sure they could actually do the work BEFORE taking it in. Now I'm faced with having to bring it somewhere else and paying for two additional tows (back from them and two another place) which will run $400 to $500. I don't think they were trying to screw anyone deliberately, but they shouldn't take on work they aren't sure they can do - especially when it costs the customer money and time. Just a FYI so no one else runs into an issue. For the record I tried calling them and talking through this to see if they'd make it right before posting this, they chose not to. read more

I have had my 19 GT Mustang here now twice. They first installed a wing that needed modification to fit. It turned out great. Just had them install a Roush Exaust and it sounds perfect. I have delt with Eric and he is Awesome! Always, friendly and very helpful. The rest of the guys are friendly and helpful as well. I trust this group with my car. read more

Great shop. Great people. I have a '55 Chevy 3200 with a ZZ6 350/405, a '59 Apache 3100 with a 383 stroker. I trust ONLY this shop to work on my trucks. Excellent work every time I have a new project for the trucks. they have installed a/c, rebuilt carburetors etc. They are true experts. Before I found this shop I never had good results. I would spend money and never get the problem fixed. When I say these guys are expert mechanics, they are gurus. They do a fabulous job on diagnosis. Many other shops end up wasting money fixing the wrong thing. These guys get it right the first time and then fix it right the first time. they show me the problem and the fix is done right and fast. Best shop I have every dealt with. read more

Horrible service and repairs. Run from this shop do not go there. Don't work there either you won't get paid.

Had a real good experience here. Eric was kowledable and friendly and was always easy to get a hold of. Bryan met with me and we discussed the build and the options I had going on. There were several issues that came up during the project which I expected would happen and we all discussed them thoroughly. The work I had done was an engine and transmission swap and I am very satisfied with the finished product. Taylor did very detailed work and answered all of my questions. At the end of the day I ended up spending a little bit more than I anticipated and it took a little longer as well but anyone who understands restorations or cars in general knows this is expected, especially since it sat in my driveway for 6 months and the only thing I managed to get done to it was to fry my electrical system. When I first received the truck back and drove it there was an annoying noise that I was concerned with (aside from my wife in the passenger seat). It turned out to be nothing major but I was told to bring it back in and everything would be taken care of. That's good piece of mind knowing they stand behind their work. I would recommend them and actually have to a few of my friends. The work on my truck is not finished and I will definitely be going back. read more

I have had 3 projects that OC Cars has helped me with. Two high end Triumph Motorcycles and my current project 1925 ford model T hot rod. I'm so pleased with the level of talent and the high quality of craftsmanship they produced for me. The two bikes are in private collections the 1962 650 Triumph Dragbike received 1 place Pro Build last years at The Garage Brewed show in Cincinnati Ohio. The custom aluminum tank, oil tank as well as all the brackets and final paint I couldn't be happier. I find the whole group is a very committed team. I will continue to use them and I highly recommended them to anyone concerning a total ground up build to help getting your project finished. read more

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Bryan at OC Cars has done my 2015 mustang gt 550hp, 2015 mustang gt 900 hp, Porsche Boxster, CTSV 560 hp, 1968 Shelby gt 500 and others. Excellent work and craftsmanship. Best shop in town. read more

Took my 74 Bronco in for front and rear sway bars. Eric had the parts ordered in a few days and completed the work in one afternoon. What a difference it made in the ride of the Bronco. Very pleased with the quality of their work. Highly recommend these guys . read more

I've been going to Bryan at OC Cars for over 12 years. I have owned a number of classic cars and wouldn't take them anywhere else. Bryan and his staff appreciate your car for the classic it is and want to make sure their work is outstanding. His prices are fair and I have never had any problems with him or his work. If you take pride in your hot rod or any other classic you might own, don't hesitate to take it to Orange County Cars. read more

Would recommend just avoiding. I took my mustang to them for a bunch of little things like replacing driver door lock and odometer. Took 3 times for them to finally just replace it as I instructed because their "fix" wasn't actually a fix. Needed to replace the head unit as the odometer was no longer rolling over. The head unit was put in and they said the speedometer was off now because the transmission was off. I would have believed that if the speedometer ever started at zero. They put a bad unit in, and now won't respond back after multiple mechanics have said it is definitely a bad head unit. Run from this shop! read more

Excellent fast friendly service. Eric ordered the correct recommended synthetic motor oil & filter for my HellCat. The wait time was short and price competitive. I would highly recommend this shop for your automotive needs! read more

Brian is my go-to guy for everything on my GTO. Over the last 5 or 6 years, he has pretty much-done everything mechanical on the car from an engine rebuild, transmission overhaul, drum to disc brake conversion, front end rebuild, radiator/cooling issues and all the scheduled maintenance. If I could rate higher than 5 stars, I would!! Can't wait to see his new shop. read more

not so good bring my car for over heat problem they said they been fixed this problem many time need change radiator fan I told them I just changed that fan last shop they said it will work trust them it cost me over $1700 and I end up with same problem . read more

Super knowledgeable staff, and great workmanship. Very patient with what seemed like the million questions I had. Would recommend without hesitation. read more

This company damaged my car and the engine stopped running after a few weeks. I have reasonable suspicion that they switched blocks on me. I never got the original back. They lied about sending my engine to a machine shop, and billed me for services that they never rendered. They didn't pay their 3rd party bills that I paid them for upfront. They held me over a barrel and didn't do the work contracted. They damaged the paint and dented the bumper on my car and didn't tell me. They lied to my face and tried to cover things up. I had my car towed out of there before the wrecked the rest of it. Total fiasco! Crooked and corrupt. I ran into the owner's father in law in san clemente; he won't even go to this guys shop because its so bad. Don't bring your car here - you'll regret it. read more

Ok but not great. had to go back couple of times because car wasn't running right. they said they could not find a problem. I finally went back and stood next to the car and pointed out the problem. They finally said sounds like the car is misfiring and it might be an ignition issue. Couldn't they have diagnosed that the first time? Also, a week later my steering column was loose. noticed the studs / nuts holding it in place barely had any threads to grip. They did not adjust the steering column support studs properly. Took my awhile but I just fixed it myself. Too much of a hassle to go back for a 4th time read more

If you want a shop owner that lies to your face this is your shop. Once you drop your car off don't expect it to be done anytime soon. I paid for repairs only to find parts I was charged for were never replaced. Owner is a dishonest crook. Had 4 other guys I met randomly at car shows that had a similar experience there. The word spreads quickly, stay away from this clown! read more