What goes through it
Cylinder heads, blocks, flywheels, pressing and fitting work, and the machining a rebuild needs.
Why it matters to you
The job does not sit in a queue at a third party, and nobody adds a margin on the way back. When a head needs surfacing or a bearing needs pressing, it happens here.
On siteFull machine shop
TurnaroundNo third-party queue
Machine shop
On siteFull machine shop
TurnaroundNo third-party queue
The honest limit
Some specialist work still goes out — and when it does we say who to, rather than pretending the whole job was ours.
Under this roof, on our own schedule
Heads, blocks and pressing work happen here rather than at a subcontractor, which is unusual for an independent shop and is the reason an engine job here does not sit waiting on somebody else's queue. It also means the person machining the part can talk to the person fitting it.
Thao Auto Repair is on El Cajon Blvd in North Park, San Diego, and has been family run for over forty years — started by Le’s father and run by Le ever since. Most of the cars that come through are from the neighborhoods around the shop: North Park, University Heights, Normal Heights, South Park, Hillcrest and City Heights. All makes, domestic, Asian and European. Repair, auto body and a full machine shop are on the one site, which is why a job needing two of the three never leaves the building.
Book a slot
Tell us the symptom. We will tell you the next opening.
The chat narrows the symptom down with you so the call is short and the desk knows what to pull before you arrive. It will not diagnose your car in a chat window, and it does not book for you — the last step is a phone call, to a person.
Where we are
3400 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92104
Mon–Fri · 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM
The map is a Google embed. It loads only when you press the button.
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