Once again, Chris & Brian are the reason I am able to continue to drive my almost 50 year old VW Superbug. It wouldn't start today. I called Viking. After my husband jumped it, I went to Viking this morning. Within an hour I had a new battery. Never have I had better service on a vehicle. My identity is that Bug. Thank you Chris & Brian for being the reason I can still drive it. read more

Viking Foreign Auto Parts - Auto Parts & Supplies Near Me - Novato, California

Only think to watch out for is that their face book page and Yelp page says they open at 9 am on Saturday. But when I drove up from San Rafael, arriving at 9.20 the sign on the door said they opened at 10 am on Saturday. That's fair enough and make sense, but I had to be back in San Rafael by 10 am so I couldn't wait. But when they ARE open the are great! I've been refreshing a 1970 Bug that they have serviced for its previous customer for a number of years, including rebuilding the engine and transmission 27,000 miles ago. The've been able to get me nearly all the parts I need (just not the rear tail-light lens seals), and have offered great suggestions in the process read more

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Outstanding shop. Called on the phone on a late Friday afternoon looking for early 70's wiper arms for a Beetle. These guys went right to work looking through a couple boxes of arms and found what we thought might work for me. When I got there, they not only had what I wanted but helped me think through my choice as I was retrofitting the Beetle wiper arms onto a different vehicle. One of them was even familiar with the type of retrofitting I was doing. Really appreciative to have a real deal parts shop experience here. Not bad guys to chat with either. read more

Nice place to buy you parts Nice service, friendly, convenient Good prices Parts fix perfect, great Quality read more

Viking Foreign Auto Parts - parts fix perfect /Work done - Auto Parts & Supplies Near Me - Novato, California

OMG!! Chris and Brian are the BESTTTTT!! Brian is super knowledgable and generous with his materials and time and I'm convinced that he could fix a car blindfolded and/or just by smell (hands over the exhaust, smell for the sweetness!). Chris made so much time for me and despite his incredibly busy schedule, let me hang out in the garage, look over his shoulder, and ask him pesky little questions while he worked. As a 21 year-old woman, it's pretty typical for older mechanics to be dismissive or even rude to me, but Chris and Brian were super eager to show me stuff and were funny while they were at it (I got lots of good car fail stories now)! They even significantly reduced my bill as I'm a young person working two jobs and Chris specifically wouldn't HEAR of me paying more. Visiting Chris and Brian really lit up my whole week and gave me a fresh burst of optimism and energy to continue working on the car I love so much. They are the absolute best and I am so lucky to call them my mechanic + auto part source! Make sure to bring them cookies and chocolate milk if you're ever in the area!! Hourly labor: $180 Weekends: closed Vibes: 1000/10 Dog: Yes (CHARLIE!) read more

My husband crashed his 1957 VW bug when he was in high school and when the time finally came to restore it nearly 20 years later, we thankfully ended up in Chris and Brian's very capable hands at Viking. From installing the windows, bumpers, rag top, wiring harness, gas tank, and headliner...to building a brand a new 1904cc engine that runs great...and so much more, they were amazing to work with! They also helped break the huge project down into financially manageable parts...and were extremely patient about my occasional budget related questions! Chris and Brian's level of expertise is above and beyond and we can't recommend working with them highly enough. read more

Viking Foreign Auto Parts - Auto Parts & Supplies Near Me - Novato, California

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I've never been more happy to have such reliable and high quality VW Bus mechanics in my area! I own a 1970 Transporter, and these guys at Viking treat me and my car with so much care and patience! Their knowledge and experience is of the highest caliber, I couldn't imagine bringing my old VW anywhere else!! They're exceptionally friendly, letting me hang out reading VW magazines in their showroom and asking all the random VW questions I can think of, while having ZERO concern whether my car is getting the best treatment or not in the back shop. Even when it comes to maintenance and repairs I even know how to do, I'd rather bring it up to Viking and have the best vintage VW professionals in the bay area do it!! Thank you so much for all your consistently wonderful and thorough work! I'd recommend Viking Foreign Auto Parts to anyone and everyone owning a VW, especially of the older vintage variety! read more

Brain from Viking Auto is my go to auto parts store he can get me anything I'm asking for great quality OME parts or factory parts. I get all my parts for my 1997 Z71 pickup, 1997 BMW 525i and my 2016 Jeep. This guy is very knowledgeable all around car guy and if you don't know the name of the part and just describe what it is or what the function is 99% he'll get the part your describing. All his parts are good quality he steers away from buying Made in China parts which I love. Most of his parts I have ordered have been made in USA or German made. Brain brings excellent customer service and is a friendly guy. The best thing about this is he's a small business owned shop M. I love supporting my Community and my local small owned business. read more

Chris, the owner, and Brian, parts guru, were recommended by another VW place. I shipped my 1600 DP '71 Ghia to them from San Francisco. I'm so glad I did. They caught the first problem quickly but the car had several and two problems didn't reveal themselves until I picked the car up. After driving it locally and thinking it wasn't dialed in enough, I returned and they set about to dig deeper. Ultimately, they uncovered two more subtle problems and corrected them which another VW place (in Concord and begins with an L) couldn't and didn't. The ride home was great since the car behaved perfectly. It's really hard to find somebody who both understands and cares for classic VWs but Viking does. Chris and Brian certainly do and their professionalism and reasonable prices reflect it. NB. read more

Seems like they have a decent supply of parts for VW Bugs, and maybe some other cars. What they don't have is any clue about customer service. I called to see if they had the part I wanted and he said "Sure, come on over!" Apparently he didn't listen to what I asked him, nor did he think my time was valuable, because after I got there and he finally heard what I needed, he said "Oh, I don't have one in stock but I can get it tomorrow...no big deal!" Sure, and it's no big deal for me to never again drive all the way to Novato for a part. read more

I am the owner of a 1970 Type 1 VW Beetle. This is my 3rd bug and 5th VW. Brian's supply of parts and expert knowledge make Viking my only stop in the Bay Area for those hard to find parts. To respond to Colleen C's comment on 12/17/2010, this was obviously a bad day and not the norm. Sorry to hear about that. I'd recommend trying again. Everyone has a bad day, including you. Viking is worth the drive. As Colleen pointed out, call first if you're coming in from out of the area. No one likes a long drive for nothing. Brian can get most parts in a day or less, if it's not already in stock. For those of you on a budget, there is the poor man's shelf. It's where we leave all of our old, but usable parts, so that others that can't scrape up the cash can get a good part. Take the time and make the drive to Viking. You won't be disappointed. read more

Good People, if your been there enough they become Family. I know you don't want cheap auto parts from corporate owned stores. Your car will thank you later. They do mechanical work, and they have DIY manuals if you need to buy one for your car. read more

Wow! Thank you so much to Brian and the crew at Viking for such excellent service. We appreciate your vast selection of car batteries, great prices, and superb services! We highly recommend Viking Foreign Auto Parts. read more

Good guys... always a pleasure to come in here and support these guys! Brian is a VW guru.. #gotvwparts?

Freakin love this place. Mike over at Smothers recommended I do a disc brake conversion on my 72 bug, and to get the conversion kit from this shop. Bryan is very knowledgeable about Vw world, while also being grade-a in customer service. He showed me around the whole shop (I didn't even ask) and guided me over the phone when my disc brakes had issues upon installation. (I installed them myself at home) I plan on going back there for a Carburetor rebuild. It should be good! I do live in Windsor, so it is a little bit of a drive. I would always recommend calling ahead of time as well. read more

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I just purchaced a 1962 VW Bug. I did so for a hobby, something fairly easy and forgiving to work on. I think this store is here primarily for people just like me. You can't buy old VW parts at Kragen, and they also can't answer questions specifically related to these vehicles. This place can. If you are new to the VW scene/ownership, or even a seasoned vet looking to find parts to restore your next project, this place is where to go. As far as customer service... It's not a Toyota or BMW dealership. You have a buisness owner running his own little store. He's willing to help how ever he can. He comes out and inspects work I've done, and also guides me in the right direction to the next step in making my little bug safe and fun to drive. read more

first and foremost let me say this: owning a volkswagen is no walk in the park. you have to pay more for oil changes, buy a special (and yes, more expensive) anti-freeze, everything and i mean EVERY thing costs more to repair. not to mention that the cost of parts can cost a small fortune. that's where viking comes in. luckily, i had someone who was able to perform all of my auto repairs so only the parts were necessary. there is not ONE part that they can't guarantee the lowest price on. next-day or same-day shipment on all parts i've purchased. along with an in-depth knowledge of v-dubs, the owner himself walked us through any repair that may require some useful tidbits. on top of ALL of this above-par service, he was even able to get me the complete new beetle service manual for the cheapest price ANY where.. and trust me, i research. read more

Brian is the man. Whenever I need special parts I always go to him. He knows what's up and will figure it out if he doesn't know it off the top of his head. He has always made sure things worked out for the both of us. There is nothing I hate more than having to waste time researching parts or fixes online. I explain the issue to him and he gets me what I need, or tells me where to go to get it. Most companies will "order" it from the other supplier and mark it up. He's a honest businessman and that in itself is becoming rarer and rarer these days. read more

Agreed. Brian will save you money when he can, and will talk honestly about your best options, even if it's not him. Knowledgeable. This is the last parts places like this that I can think of. read more

I recently took my 1974 Porsche 914 in for an oil leak issue and a stalling problem. Brian and his staff were very friendly and knowledgable about my cars needs. I called ahead to step up an appointment and they started on the car on the same day! Brian kept us updated with any issues and progress being made. Brian answered all of my questions and reassured me to bring the car back for any issues or concerns I might have. I would recommend Viking Foreign Auto Parts and Repair highly to anyone with a VW or a Porsche 914!! Brian and his staff are truly honest and enjoy what they do. read more

Knowledgeable and courteous is how I describe this place. Not only am I able to access hard to find parts, I also get REAL expert assistance with mechanical issues. Viking is like the commercials of the giant auto part distributors where the guy behind the counter knows what he is talking about but also gives the customer the time of day to help them...except at Viking it's true. read more

These guys have helped me build/repair two classic bugs. Always helpful and kind. Their pricing is good and well worth their knowledge. Hands down best shop experiences I've ever had. read more

My 79 super beetle convertible needed help before we shipped it to Hawaii. Brian was patient with my zillions of questions and always tried to find me the best deal on what I needed. Great guy to call if you need a recommendation on 'something' vw related. Trustworthy, knows his stuff, fair prices, local. What more can you want? read more

As a VW owner and foreign car mechanic for 20+ years, I can say, without a doubt, that Bryan is the most knowledgable, helpful, and courteous parts person I've had the pleasure of dealing with. I can go in, say I need the thingy for the whatchamacallit, and he can rattle off a part number for it. It's nice to deal with an actual mechanic/enthusiast who knows what I want. I used to drive from Lake Berryessa to buy from him, and it was always well worth it! Unbeatable prices, service, and advice. read more

Great place, always willing to help and get the right part and job done correctly. However it takes a little time to establish a giving back and forth relationship, once these guys know you and your car, your are in and that's priceless. read more

My husband and I recently had the best experience at this auto parts and repair shop. We had our 1966 Volkswagen bug fully restored and am pleased to say we could not have chosen a more professional and customer orientated place of business. The car came out perfect and everything was done to the highest quality and you can see they take pride in everything they do, down to the smallest details. They were highly esteemed in their trade and always treated us, the customer, with respect and honesty. They gave us a price quote and honored it as well as a specific time as to when the car would be finished and of course they met their promised deadline. I highly recommend this place of business to anyone looking for a fair, honest, and friendly establishment to do business with. They have found a lifelong customer in me. read more

Updated! Way better than 5-stars. Yelpers, you probably own a car, right? Here's a great place to bring your vehicle for TLC. MY most recent experience: Brought my car in for what I thought was going to be a major headache, but Brian and his team figured out that the "issues" that were representative of the check-engine light were not as bad as the codes that were served up. They're pros at this and they have a ton of experience to boot. Less than 2-hours later, my car was running like new again. I've been driving it for three-weeks since the work was done and it's been running perfectly, with no more issues whatsoever. In the meantime, I still need to have regular standard, milage-related, stuff done, so Brian will see my car again, especially because Viking does great work. A company's reputation isn't everything, it's the only thing. Viking Auto Parts is a great Novato community asset--and for Yelpers, this is a wonderful establishment for the right parts at great prices, as well as for precision auto mechanical work done properly. I don't write many Yelp reviews, but when I do, I call 'em like I see 'em. read more