[sree]

Hey people!

I'm looking for a reputable independent BMW shop in Los Angeles / Orange County that can do a pre-purchase inspection on an M235i.

I searched around and a few shops stand out, does anyone have a personal experience with these and/or other recommendations?
- Mission Bell Motorworks
- The M Shop
- Bimmer PhD Motorsports
- Avus Autosports
- Taylor Co BMW + MINI

My last resort would be to take it to a BMW dealership in the area.

Thanks in advance!

--
Sree

[TM9030]

Your best bet will be your local dealer.
It's a hit or miss with a lot of Indys.


I found that the dealership is pretty thorough & the price isn't too far of from most indys.

[Finn Germai-Yaz]

Autotalent
Precision Dynamics
European Auto Source

[sree]

Thanks for the replies guys - I called around and had a good conversation with most dealers on the list.

I found two additional worth mentioning:
- A's Garage
- DTM Auto Salon

Both knew what they were talking about and were forthcoming with their PPI options.

I'll post an update on my experience once the PPI is complete.

[sree]

I wanted to follow up on my experience with a pre-purchase inspection in Los Angeles / Orange County should someone else need this.

I contacted several places, and overall got a very good sense of what they would be able to do for the PPI. Prices varied a lot as well (listing quotes as of 04/02/2021)

• A's Garage: My top pick on the list. Alvin had nothing but great reviews all over. $145 for the PPI. Amazing guy, not as tech-forward as the bigger shops, but very honest and even texted me photos of the whole process as I was doing this from across the country. Great combination of service and price. Also did a courtesy (free of charge) follow-up to verify a few things

• DTM Auto Saloon: $250 for the service. Great guy, knew a lot about cars, chatted up about my current E46 ZHP at length. My second pick from the list.

• Taylor and Co.: Expensive but also the friendliest/most detailed explanation of their PPI. $360 for two hours of service. Would have given a digital record of everything.

• Bimmer Ph.D..: Most expensive at $458 for the full package and $250 for the lite package. Biggest difference IIRC is a paint depth gauge to determine if anything was fixed without an official record.

• Mission Bell Motorworks: $125 for the lite and $250 for the extensive package with a paint depth gauge service.

• The M Shop: Was fully booked but very informative. Referred me to two other shops that were equally as good.

Hope this helps and hit me up if you need more details!