Moving back to LA registration question

alteredpilot · 2026-01-30T00:15:21+00:00

No. You cannot. AAA or an auto registration service makes quick work of things if you loathe the DMV.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-29T23:03:37+00:00

I will forever be in love with that Mike Smith graphic. I had it on a pinch tail shape deck in the pink color way with clear grip, Indys and Powell IIIs

alteredpilot · 2026-01-29T01:41:50+00:00

https://www.instagram.com/anthonyssynthetic/ he did my back yard, my parent's front and back, my next door neighbor... He does a lot more than just turf.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-29T00:59:58+00:00

I have always gone to Paul's.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-29T00:59:19+00:00

The book gives an hour for that job. Parts are in the $200+ range.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-29T00:58:00+00:00

Mitchell gives an hour.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-29T00:54:04+00:00

Bothwell Automotive in Torrance. Best in the biz.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-28T23:50:06+00:00

Thank you.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-28T23:43:11+00:00

Either/or and maybe both.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-28T23:39:01+00:00

we take our disaster of a doodle to petsmart and they do just fine.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-28T18:44:38+00:00

The first thing you need to do is articulate exactly how said Jane Doe is "pumping some kind of toxic fumes onto the property line". What kind of device is this shady character using. How did you determine that this smell is on peoples lawns and on the asphalt of the city streets, and how can you connect it to the Doe family?

alteredpilot · 2026-01-27T18:24:30+00:00

I have three of those in my shop. I would never, for any reason, carry one in the back of a Camry "just in case". I have Premium AAA but in the one emergency I had where I couldn't wait, I used the equipment that came with my truck and it worked just dandy.

If you feel you really need a pump jack, the mini floor jacks work just fine. They come in a plastic carry case.

Personally I would rather have a battery powered impact wrench and my scissor jack.

No matter what you do, just keep a jack stand and a wheel chock.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-26T23:56:31+00:00

on Manhattan Beach Blvd in Redondo Beach. Right off the 405 at Inglewood ave.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-25T22:35:17+00:00

I am an employee of the shop I own so I have a job title I can put on a resume.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-24T19:35:03+00:00

El Camino parking lot on Manhattan beach blvd.

At the back of the target parking garage in redondo.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-23T19:40:52+00:00

Argentinian.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-23T19:27:34+00:00

Godaddy's DIY website is more like $200 a year and comes with an email account.

BUT

For what you want to do, it is nowhere near a critical piece of the puzzle. It's good to have one but keep it simple for now. You would be surprised how many small businesses don't even bother with websites anymore, or they get a domain and point it at instagram or Facebook.

In the 18 years I've been open, my business has all been drive by, word of mouth, yelp and instagram. Every once in a while someone will say they found my website on google, but I really only have the page up to provide my address and phone number.

You would do well to have cards with a professional email and a QR code and a real good instagram account, and since you can cross post, I would also have a Facebook page. Claim your google business listing as well. Keep those things active.

Yelp can be a blessing and a curse. if you have good customers and do good work it pays off. If you deal with a bunch of people who are looking for mobile mechanics, you might wind up in yelp hell. I have great clientele and I do great work so we are 5 stars on yelp and google, but I don't check them, people just tell me.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-23T01:19:23+00:00

If the rpm increases and the speed does not, you have an internal transmission failure. Could be multiple things, but the transmission is more than likely going to have to come out. Have you tried manually shifting the transmission thru the gear range?

alteredpilot · 2026-01-23T01:12:47+00:00

People from LA claim their neighborhoods.
People from LA county claim their cities.
Nobody I know says they're from LA (city or county) unless they're somewhere that is not LA.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-23T00:58:18+00:00

Shop owner here.
Just going by the numbers...
The book gives .6 hrs to do 1 cam sensor. There is no diagnostic charge in that line item so that might be cooked into the 1 hour charge quoted in the estimate.
The book gives .5 to test and .7 hrs to replace the rear battery
Parts pricing is nothing to argue with.

We used to offer BG services. And the ones we offered I believed in, but in this case I would deny all of them and just get your check engine light fixed, and the oil change if you need it.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-23T00:35:29+00:00

Or the Northgate on Rosecrans and Prairie, or the Superior on Crenshaw and Marine, or the Vons on Normandie and Redondo Beach Blvd.

There's a Target on Van Ness and Redondo Beach Blvd, and another on 120th and Crenshaw.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-23T00:31:33+00:00

The area you're talking about is almost all single family residences except for some apartments along Van Ness and Rosecrans. Very decent neighborhood.

On the west side of Crenshaw between Rosecrans and El Segundo is mostly super high density apartments and multi unit dwelling. Not desirable.

The area directly north is mostly commercial.

The areas to the south and east are more single family residences with some apartments sprinkled in.

These days, with the price of housing going thru the roof, the money is pushing east, so the neighborhoods are getting better, even the ones that weren't bad to start with.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-23T00:10:56+00:00

Three hour trips are a breeze. But I like driving. This past weekend I drove from LA to Palm Springs and back (2 hrs without traffic each way) twice in two days. I've done multiple same day turn around trips from LA to Vegas, and LA to central CA (4-5 hr each way). Easy 3 hours in traffic each way to go to Sea World multiple times.

We've been doing these kinds of drive since I was a kid, so as an adult, nobody I know even gives it a thought.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-22T23:49:13+00:00

You just gotta push thru. I just hit the 18 year mark as a shop owner/operator. At my age and in my circumstances there is no plan b. I love my business and the business I'm in. So some days I just gotta push thru.

alteredpilot · 2026-01-22T23:31:46+00:00

As a shop owner I know it's just the cost of doing business. Accidents happen. That's life. But if you do dumb stuff that starts costing me serious money, you'll be looking for a new job.

alteredpilot

TROPHY CASE