Walt took great care of my 74' F100, he even rebuilt the existing e-brake I was told was inoperable. read more

Vintage Vehicles - Auto Repair Near Me - Novato, California

I own an original 68 classic car. I brought my vehicle to Walt to have some work done. I was told he was good at what he does. I was not told that he was a crook. He ruined my paint and my transmission and told me it was not his fault. He left me with a mess that I paid top dollar in cash to fix. he is the most crooked man in the business. I would not recommend him to anyone for any reason I would actually detour anyone from going to him he is a crook and will take your vehicle unless you pay for his incredibly low quality work and damage he does to your car. STAY AWAY..... read more

Tried to contain myself and not write a review for this place but I can't take it anymore. I could have gotten over everything that happened here except for the fact that every time I check my oil I'm reminded of my experience with Walt and vintage vehicles. I brought my car here after having some issues with it not running right after having the some work done elsewhere. Walt had it only an hour before he figured out what was wrong. He was fast communicative and pricey but worth it, considering I thought I found someone who could finally get the job done. A few calls later he said its fixed so I came back and picked it up to a heavy price. The previous shop had it for 3 weeks and didn't do a damn thing, told me to put new parts on it and see if that fixes it. Needless to say I was happy to pay someone to fix it right. I was impressed and happy customer at this point. The repair didn't last the drive home so we agreed to have the car brought back another time to try to fix it again. At this point I figured that I should just have him fix a handful of other things I needed done. We agreed upon a price and I dropped the car off. It took quite a while to complete as I believed them to be understaffed and way to many cars in queue. The morning I went to pick it up they weren't open yet so I waited out front, after 20-30 minutes his employee came to open up the gate and I realized my car was not there. I asked where Walt was and he said he is not there yet. Sure enough here come Walt driving my car to work. I asked him if he took it home and he blatantly lied to me and said he was taking it for a test drive. Happy to have my car back again I wasn't concerned and just wanted to drive it again. We went to the office to pay the bill and he hands me an invoice for more than double our originally agreed upon price. I questioned the price and he starts to realize that it's obviously different than what we spoke about. So he puts it aside and asks me what he said. He was obviously fair with the end result on price and I was fair with trying to meet him half way but really, double? Without any call or approval for such a jump in price? I questioned if he was way to swamped with work without any help and he assured me that wasn't the case. After a few days back with my baby I realized a few things weren't the same. My dip stick was cut in half and later rejoined with hose and hose clamps to save time when removing exhaust manifolds. This still pisses me off to this day!! Try to check your oil and half the tube comes up with the dip stick because the ghetto ass hose and hose clamps don't hold so well with engine heat and oil combine. So once rejoined imagine having to use one hand to hold the tube and the other to pull the dipstick out. Don't burn yourself. Factory door loom where the electrical issue must have resided was cut open, wires repaired, and zip tied back together. Not very esthetic to say the least. My car isn't a show car but these kinds of repairs would have been expected from a tire shop or a backyard mechanic not a place that specializes in vintage vehicles. Btw this repair did not last and is now not only in need of repair again but now in need of a new door loom to replace the butchered one. Walt didn't ask before doing these hacks and didn't offer to fix it after either Actually told me it's common practice. I've been searching for these parts since then, and let me tell you, they are anything but common. Maybe that's cuz all the small shops out there hack them up. Pisses me off to no end. So much so that this was the last shop I brought my car to. This experience taught me that I'd rather do it myself than pay my hard earned money to have someone else jerry rig it. read more

If you have a classic, antique, or vintage vehicle that you want to drive then take it to Walt. He is honest, fair, thorough, and thoughtfully repairs cars that are drivers, everyday. I have two, 1964 Ford Falcon Futura Coupe, 260Ci 4 speeds, one is convertible both are daily drivers that turn heads and drive well, thanks to Walt. I took the hardtop to Jamestown this weekend from Marin, at 80 on the highway she drives like a beautiful new car. I found Vintage Vehicles on Yelp, and this is my first recommendation. Thank you Walt. read more

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I highly recommend Walt at Vintage Vehicles. He worked on some upgrades and minor fixes on my 1967 Camaro SS. Walt is honest, friendly and very knowledgeable. Thanks Walt! read more

Vintage Vehicles - Auto Repair Near Me - Novato, California

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Walt is great I cannot believe I am the first 1 to review his shop. But then again it"s not some hipster hangout. It's an old school type of car repair shop and restoration. My Dad took 2 of his cars here and the work came out excellent. I took my vehicle a 63 corvair convertible here after first taking it to Corvair unlimited in the city. It was not that the quote was cheaper, Walt is knowledgeable about his classic vehicles. I drove my car up and made the first payment and due to the worst economy ever it took me awhile to pay him. He could have put a lien on my Corvair and kept it for himself but he not only does great work but is a decent guy as well. I highly reccomend him for all your vintage/classsic vehicle work . Sometimes you have to go the extra mile to get great work. For the city I stick w/SF auto but Vintage I use Walt. Check it out you wont be dissapointed read more

5 stars is the maximum, but Walt delivered service far more than that!! There are car mechanics, specialists, and then there is Walt! He was a straight shooter about what my car needed, ways of keeping it roadworthy and also things to avoid doing that would affect performance. Very refreshing and rare to have someone who knows so much about classic cars, but is also very enthusiastic about the cars and history they each hold, as well as doing the work. I recently brought in my 1963 Chevy Corvair (just finding someone to work on them is a rarity!). I love the car, but I am 11 years younger than it is, and I just don't have the time or inclination to do the repair work. It was running awful (had to tow it to him) and It needed some serious carb and brake work, and he completed the repairs quickly and if he saw something simple to fix, he just did it without trying to gouge me or just "stay busy" as some mechanics seem to enjoy doing. The price was very reasonable for the repairs. I drove it back to Napa and it was like a whole new car! I inherited it from my father in law over 5 years ago when he passed away and it ran better after Walt was finished with it then I ever remember it running - it can only be as close to running like it just came off the showroom floor as possible! I now really enjoy the car again!! I am lucky to have found Walt and he has earned a customer for as long as he continues to fix vintage cars! If you have any kind of vintage car, there is really no excuse not to have him do the work, or even to get a second opinion from. Thanks again Walt!! Cheers!! read more

I agree with the other writers. If you have an older gem that needs special attention this is the place. He knows his vintage vehicles. I don't and won't take my car anywhere else. You don't have to worry going there. read more

Walt is THE MAN!! I have a yellow '63 Ford Galaxie 500 convertible, and it never fails that when I take it to Walt, not only are the immediate issues dealt with, but he'll look everything over. If he finds anything I should know about, he'll call. If it's something that can wait, he'll say so. If it's a safety thing, or "pay $ now, or $$ later, or $$$$ if this component fails", he'll give me the straight scoop on that, too. I spent several grand on break-down repairs when I was out of state last summer, and really wasn't happy with how the car drove this summer (I live overseas; the car is usually stored). Took it in, and found out the other repairs hadn't been done properly. Older cars, though simpler than today's cars, can be a challenge for younger mechanics who've never worked on them. Picked up the car, drove it back to storage today, and what a difference! In steering, handling, braking, the works -- the difference was like night and day. When Walt has worked on my car, I can rest easy. read more

The Car Doctor has done it again! Walter is the kind of guy that will NOT let a car go out of his lot unless it is SAFE. I took my Camero in when it started clanking when I started it. Turns out it was a flywheel so into the Doc's Vintage Vehicle garage it went. Not only did he fix that, but he did my brakes which were supposed to be done for $2200 I might add from Country Club Auto in Novato....(Right after Larry Castano 'fixed' my brakes, I stopped going to him because my Camero kept breaking down EVERY TIME I left his garage for a 'repair'. He KNEW I was a Widow on a fixed income so I trusted him to be honest- HA, what a joke! He even lied and said he KNEW my husband Steve who was a mechanic)! When Walter (Vintage Vehicles) saw my car for the first time, he said I needed BRAKES! I said that's impossible - I just bought a NEW master cylinder myself AND had the brakes fixed by Country Club Auto/Larry ($2200). He said there was NO way those brakes were fixed OR that master cylinder was NEW. Thank GOD I found Walter and STOPPED getting BEAT by COUNTRY CLUB AUTOMOTIVE/Larry Castano/Owner, 19R Digital Dr, Novato. Walter NOT only fixes whatever ails your car, he does the so called 'little' stuff- the DETAILS that mean so much- my rearview mirror was off; my front grill spoiler was cracked and hanging down...what a great feeling it is when you go pick up your car and it not only runs like it's brand NEW, but all the 'little' things are in order too. read more

Walt knows Ford! Ya he is da man if you want to get a old car going again. He is very busy!!!!! So you have to kinda get and appointment. Best of Marin for sure and a real treasure in the restoration world. read more

The owner Walt is the best. Look at the other reviews and see how often they refer to the owner by his first name. Walt is a great person to work with. If you have almost any kind of pre-1970's car he is an expert. For you Corvair owners, you know how hard it is to find a good mechanic Corvair mechanic. Hardly any left. Walt is also a Corvair expert. Great work for a fair price. read more

I recently purchased a 73' datsun 620 pickup that needed a good tune-up/inspection. As soon as I brought the truck in and meet Walt any anxiety I had fizzled away; I could instantly tell that this was someone who knew and cared about what they are doing. The turn around time was amazing, price was more than fair and the truck drives better than expected. read more

Walt at Vintage Vehicles did a great job rebuilding the generator in my 55 Chevy. He last rebuilt the generator 23 years ago. Walt is the best. He is very knowledgeable on all of my Chevy's issues, friendly, and offers repair alternatives. Repairs are done quickly. Mike from Novato read more

Walt has done it again. I brought him my recently purchased 48 Hudson with serious carb problems. Walt rebuilt the carbs and balanced and synced them. They came out great and this was something I had been told only a "Hudson Expert" could do. Walt even came to my house to remove and replace the carbs and make adjustments since it was raining and i don't take the car out in the weather. Walt is honest and fair on price and will give you the straight scoop on your classic car. He has also worked on my 51 Chevy truck. If I can't fix them myself, I am taking my toys to Walt. read more

Walt is amazing. Wouldn't trust my car to anyone else. Ever. Even when I had to move away I still had to towed back to Walt whenever it needed anything! read more

I feel extremely lucky to have found Walt through this Yelp page, so I want to add my own 5-star review. I have a 1963 Cadillac convertible that had been orphaned without a mechanic for almost a decade. I finally decided I needed to get the top fixed and see if someone could securely attach the door panels that were just barely hanging on. Walt was amazing right from the start. In the initial phone consultation, he was friendly, patient, knowledgeable, accommodating - all the things you hope for in a mechanic and rarely find. When I brought the car in, he took time to go over all my concerns in detail, giving me ballpark price estimates for each item I mentioned. Then he called the next day with more detailed diagnostics and followed up again each time there was a decision to be made. He never pressured me to go with the most expensive option. In fact, he did a phenomenal job salvaging my door panels without requiring a costly restoration. And the convertible top glides up and down better than ever. He also did a safety check and walked me through options of what would make sense to tackle next. Oh, and he even agreed to meet me there on a Sunday so it would be more convenient for me to pick up the car. I've had four previous mechanics working on this car, and Walt is miles above and beyond any of them. I hope he never, ever retires! read more

Walt rebuilt the transmission in my Falcon, and scrounged up the hard to find parts to complete the job. I am really pleased with the work, and Walt is a very ethical and easy to work with guy. I recommend his services without reservation. If your car is "older" and it is important to you to have the job done correctly, then he is the person that you should take your car to. Most of the shops and people that work on modern vehicles just don't seem to get it when it comes to anything more than a few years old. read more

Walter and his employee Pancho are the Best! I took my smashed up 49 Ford truck in there after it sat in another body shop for six months. Within three days they had straightened out the fenders so they fitted perfectly back on the truck. These guys know their stuff. read more