Z Expert

Z Expert is the best. Timely service, reasonable quotes and prices. Highly recommend

With a 1984 Datsun 280ZX, parts break regularly. That’s bad enough, but finding someone competent to fix a car Datsu 30+ years old is near impossible. Take the tail lights; I had three mechanics tell me it was the light bulb (wrong), two had no idea what the problem was, and one said he knew, but it would take time to find the part on eBay. But he never could. These were all supposed to be mechanics who had expertise in Datsuns. At Z Expert, Richard said they fix those tail lights «all the time.» Sure enough; fixed. Then there was the differential. Not that I had any idea what that was, but apparently in the shape it was in, the differential could have fallen off at any time, stopping me dead (in more ways than one) on the street or freeway. With all those other mechanics, why did no one say anything about this? Actually one did make a note, but made no attempt to fix it – «you can’t get the part.» Well, Z Expert found the differential and replaced it. If you have a Datsun or any «Z,» I suggest you stop shopping around for someone to fix your car and drive to Z Expert. I will.

This place is everything you need in a car shop. They are honest, straight forward, they do what they can and they don’t rip you off like the awful Nissan dealership in Hawthorne. I’ve been coming here for three years for regular services on my car and minor repairs: always best service!

I met Richard a few years ago. He has been a great guy with a professional Z team. Thanks for all the wonderful service provided to my 1977 Datsun 280Z.

I’ve brought my 2004 FX35 a few times for repairs. Each time, Richard diagnosed the problem and solved it quickly, at a fair price. The shop is a no-​frills place, and it can take a little while to get the work done if they are busy, so be sure to plan your day accordingly. It helps to call a day or two in advance to make sure they’re not swamped.

This is probably a pretty common story: for years I took my G35 directly to an Infiniti dealer for service, mostly without much incident and while figuring I was paying a bit more for those regular oil changes and general inspections, I figured it was worth some convenience and honoring their warranty terms.
Once my car hit a certain age, though (coincidentally once my warranty expired? well, I’m not *that* cynical), they seemed to find some «little» issue every time I went in for that oil change. And after 3 successive service visits with $ 1000+ bills over 15 months, I got hit with a $ 2200 estimate at my most recent service and I decided I’d had enough.
I found Z Expert here (thanks Unilocalers!) and they sounded like the place for me to turn to for an independent opinion. And what a doozie it was: Richard & crew had a hard look at the problem I told him my dealer had found and. he laughed it off. It was a non-​issue and not worth doing anything about. I can’t express how shocked and refreshing his candor were.
Now, again, I try not to be too cynical — the dealership may have a tighter view on «acceptable» and have to abide by recall– and lawsuit-​averse policies Corporate sends down. I don’t know. My car is 10 years old now, though, and I think I found some place new to take care of it for the rest of its life with me.

Dang, I’m pretty happy with my experience just now.
2006 Infiniti G35 Coupe (my baby) was overheating. I knew it was not a radiator problem or coolant etc., thought maybe a sensor. Looked up a Nissan specializing mechanic and Z Expert popped up right down the road from house.
Went over, all Datsun and Nissan in the Lot, Rich took t he car in no questions and had it back to me 2.5 hours, fixed with new thermostat, and some coolant.
Found my mechanic for the G. Also love that he sounds like the Coach From Major League!
Thanks Rich!

This is one of the best shops ever. I have owned my 300ZX for 30 years and they have worked on it for 20 of those. If not for Richard my Z would be long gone. I just do not even see how anybody could not have had a great experience with them. Do you really need a fancy lobby with fresh coffee and donuts. then go to the Stealership. He’s also worked on my 97′ Q45, 05′ X-​Terra and did work on old 85′ Maxima and 99′ Sentra.
This is a mechanic you can trust and does the work for a very fair price. Highly recommended.

I am the original owner of a ’75 2+2 Z that I bought when I lived in Portland, Or. I moved to Venice in ’90 and Z Expert was nearby and a logical choice. I had only used one mechanic in Oregon and hoped to do the same in LA. Richard did a great job anytime my car had a problem. He was not patronizing or dismissive as some mechanics are towards women. Once he diagnosed the problem he explained it in clear layman’s terms and suggested the best fix. He was my Z’s «primary»…I wish my primary was as good with me as Richard was with my Z. During a period when I was between positions but had something that needed fixed, Richard would propose a more modest repair that would keep me mobile until I could afford the complete repair.
When I moved to the mid-​city area it was easier to use a mechanic that was open on Saturdays… so I did. I tried 3 different shops & spent $ 800 trying unsuccessfully to fix a problem when I finally called Richard and took my baby to him. I told him my tale of woe, making the «you’re not open on Saturdays» excuse… he corrected the problem in about 3 hours while I waited, charged me $ 140.
For 24 years he’s kept my Z running and in great shape… if he ever decides to open only 2 days a week, or move to Orange County, he’ll still have me as a customer.
When you’ve got the best you don’t go anywhere else.

Richard has taken care of two Z cars for me: a 2005 350Z and now my 2010 370Z. When I buy another Z I will be counting on Richard to keep it in tip top condition. I found Richard and Z Experts when I was desperately trying to find someone to solve the expensive ‘tire roar’ problem that was a design flaw in many Zs from 2002 – 2005. The dealer had no solutions. Nissan had no solutions. I called Z Expert explained what the problem was and within 2 hours Richard called back and told me what was needed. He ordered the part and the problem never came back. Since then I have been a loyal customer and have never been disappointed with the service provided. Thank you Richard!

Richard Kuebler, the Z Expert, knows his cars. He’s been in Venice specializing in Z’s, Nissans and Infinitis since 1988. He’s not the cheapest car repair service in town, but he’s honest and his prices are fair. But when you choose a doctor, lawyer or accountant do you want the best, or the cheapest? I prefer knowing my car will be fixed right, so that I can drive at freeway speeds with impunity.
He’s now working on my second car with him. Under his care, I drove my 280z to a quarter of a million miles, and only sold it because the body started to rust out in Venice’s sea air.
If you want a capable mechanic in the heart of Venice, drop by Z Expert Automotive Service. If you get antsy lingering in a waiting room, stroll through the nearby Venice canals. He’ll even give you a map so you won’t get lost. You’ll have to look hard for the shop, because it’s hidden in the back of the Mars Auto body lot.

I have been taking my almost 10 yr old car to Richard for several years now, he was initially a referral from a good friend who raved about him and had used him for many years. He is a really nice guy and a good honest mechanic. I now refer all of my friends to Richard, who are always– in turn– very happy.

Great mechanic… Richard is knowledgeable and honest. Does great work. Very helpful.

Richard does great work! As a female it is SOOO nice to have a mechanic you can trust! Always fixes my car in a timely manner and has reasonable prices!

I originally met Richard because of my long history with Datsuns. However, for the past few years he has done terrific work on my 99 Jeep Wrangler.
Good diagnostics, great communication and everything that has been fixed has stayed fixed. Costs have been very reasonable.
If you are interested in Z cars, Richard is very knowledgeable of the details for the many years and slight variations that are still on the road today. I have seen minor repair work in progress as well as full restorations at his shop. I would not hesitate to work with him on such a project.
An impressive, reliable, fair independent mechanic shop, that is how I would describe Zexpert. Highly recommended!

I own a 1990 300zx TT and I’ve taken my Z to Richard a total of 3 times. I made my first visit about a year ago when I first purchased the car to have Richard perform a general inspection. He doesn’t posses great people skills and never seems thrilled to be servicing your car. It’s almost like he’s seen so many Z’s that he’s no longer excited to see another Z car appear at his door step. At any rate, the inspection went well, he gave me an itemized list of things I should look into replacing and he completed the inspection within the time that he quoted. For the last year I have maintained my car elsewhere but returned recently to Z expert to have my clutch line replaced.
Here are my frustrations with my last visit.
1. They are not open on weekends, therefore it is very hard to coordinate drop off and pick up if you work normal business hours during the week.
2. Richard told me to pick up the car and when i got there, the clutch feel was horrible. If you’re a Z expert and tested the car after the work was performed then it should be obvious something isn’t right. After waiting for Richard to end his 20 minute phone call, I waited for another 30 minutes while one of his technicians adjusted the clutch position to compensate for lack of pressure in the pedal. At this time, I was already frustrated after having driven from Long Beach in traffic to find that my car had not been repaired properly and on top of that there were no apologies for the wait or for calling me to come pick up the car before he had properly inspected the technicians work.
2b. After the adjustment, the clutch was not perfect but it was hard to tell just moving the car forward and backward on his small lot. I drove the car home and soon regretted my decision. As i was driving I would engage the clutch (lifting my foot) and the clutch would stay partially engaged not allowing the car to accelerate properly and needless to say I was not able to continue driving the car. I let the car sit over the weekend and on Monday morning I got the car towed to the shop once again. I was off on Monday and Richard guaranteed that he would have the problem corrected by the end of the day. 5:00 rolled around and I never heard from Richard. I called him on Tuesday to get an update and to my surprise, my car had not even been driven yet. The techs then went on to make a few more tweaks and then I finally got a call back just before 5:00 to let me know that my car was ready. I work in Torrance and get off work at 5 so I told him to leave my car in their parking lot and I would grab the car with my spare keys.
Today marks day 2 driving my car since the readjustment and the clutch pressure is still weak and I’m having trouble shifting my car into gear. I’m not a specialist but I know about cars and it seems that the clutch has not been properly bled and that there is air trapped in the lines. I would think a specialist would know how to correct this issue the first time and could spot this problem a mile away instead of me having to point out the flawed clutch feel every time.
My greatest frustration comes from the fact that I’ve been really kind and understanding but every time I have a conversation with Richard it seems like he has better things to do and working on my car feels like an inconvenience for him. I’m sure I could get Richard to make more adjustments to my clutch with no cost to me but at this point I would rather pay another technician to perform any other work that is needed to return my clutch back to its original state.

I moved to Venice 5 years ago and I went to Richard just because it was close to my house and there was a nice cat in the office. I have no clues about cars, engines, oil change and stuff like that… I am a perfect target for a mechanic… my lucky star saved me one more time driving me to Z expert that day. Since 2006 I have changed 3 cars. Richard and Luis have always taken care about my cars with great rates, great service and that friendly twist so hard to find in Los Angeles. I will always be a Z Expert aficionados.
A mechanic you can trust 100%.

I’m sure there is some analogy for finding a good mechanic but I don’t know what it is — but I do know Richard is it!
Friendly, honest, quality work, reasonable prices its all there!
For example — I had my check engine light go on — took him to check it — he gave me free consultation — went to Midas earlier for some work (its across the street from my work) they wanted to charge me $ 80 just to check it!
Highly recommended!

If you own a Nissan, go here!
If you own an Infiniti, go here!
Even if you own a Honda or Toyota, it’s worth checking out.
If you are an Infiniti owner, then you probably know that the Infiniti dealerships are overpriced and are looking to mark up prices on parts and labor by obscene amounts. Richard will work on your Infiniti for a much better cost. And the great thing is, this guy knows what he’s doing. He owns Nissan and Infiniti cars himself and has been wrenching on them for many moons. He is honest and will not do any half-​ass work because he wants happy customers giving him repeat business.

Richard is a friendly trustworthy mechanic with reasonable rates and a great turnaround time. And he’ll drive you home if he needs to keep your car.
Everyone, especially girl-​types, should have a steady mechanic that knows their car on a first-​name basis. Richard’s good for that. Don’t pet his cat though, unless you want your hand scratched raw.
Oh and your car doesn’t have to be a classic Z or anything. I have a little Toyota.