I remained quiet for quite some time.

Quite some time ago, My best friend was the manager of this shop... Before he worked there he had a Evo 9 that was involved in a accident where he went to FIA for repairs. I went with him to pick up the car after repairs, The repairs were half assed and he somehow ended up working there. I met the owner of FIA the day I took him to pick up the car... Sam, The guy immediatly came off as very shady to me, As he pretended to be stressed about how other shops treat their customers vehicles and how they half *** the repairs... I'm a excellent judge of character. I told my friend not to accept the job.

He ignored my warning and worked there for a year. About 6 months into his employment he began to tell me how I was right, The owner was a complete ***** that was just after the money and not quality in repairs or modifications... For about 3 months he thought about quitting until he finally did it. I noticed on Norcalevo he portrays a honest sponsored seller, Not the case. A honest store owner would pay their employee's, The pay checks come when he feels like it, His employee's have to ask to get paid, Including one of his remaining employee's who is on this forum still. Even this guy has been thinking about qutting. He owes my friend about $700. His mechanic is an illegal immigrant who knows what he's doing fortunately, I will say the only honest person that works there.

The shop is down right shady, As far as their body and paint go's it's a plywood and plastic booth in the back of the shop, It's not the proper or sanitary place to paint anything professionally on a vehicle, This is coming from my 2 years of autobody/major collision repair classes and that my uncle owns a body shop in hayward, Parts are properly installed thanks to their single mechanic, Reyas (sp?). But due to the owner trying to save a buck the parts are not what you will order, Thus is why their prices are so cheap considered to their rival GST in Hayward. My friend no longer owns the Evo9 because the owner Sam used the car on the track and I believe blew the motor... Customers as I have seen while hanging around the shop will come in to check on their vehicles to find nothing has been done over an extended amount of time. Or the car will get dismantled to appear as if work has been done, Such as a customer who I witnessed go in to check out his Evo's progress, I helped move a block to the side of a pile of parts not knowing the scheme. Sam told the customer the block was getting bored out so it wasnt there all awhile it sits behind the Evo in a pile of parts.

You'll order parts for your car brand new, and pay for brand new parts while they actually will be used, Such as the blue Evo sitting inside the shop which was apart of a whole insurance scandal. Someone is rolling around with a door from that Evo while insurance paid for brand new OEM parts, And like my friends wrecked Evo, His insurance paid $12K in repairs all awhile the parts are coming from other customer's vehicles or parts cars. He told the insurance company and my friend before he became an employee that all money was spent in repairs for the vehicle and pocketed the rest.

This is my review from the inside of the shop. I know Jeff who is a employee of FIA and works at the shop will see this and it will get passed to Sam. I have more information that I'm too drunk to type out about the shop, Including some upcoming court cases as an example a customer going in to have his S14 converted to RHD which was done horribly totalling the car... I unfortunately dont have much to say about Jeff either. A unfit employee for his position who will willingly lay down and let sam screw him in the *** rather then back up someone who is/was in his same situation. Just like the car Sam bought in Jeff's name.

I will keep my mouth shut once I see my friend be able to cash his check into bank of america. As opposed to showing up there expecting to finally get his money get declined because Sam only keeps $400 in the bank unless he approves of a incoming check... Sounds like a real honest person that you should trust with your valueable vehicle.

The shop changes names what seems like seasonally from Vector 4 Racing to FIA to Method 4 motorsports. I wonder what he may be trying to hide? Wink Same with the owners name.

All this information has been coming to me as they happened thanks to my friend, his customers' mouths and from seeing it for my own eyes.

By the way, My best friend was a manager of this shop... Not some little clean up boy or anything that wouldn't know what's going on.

If you are persistant on going to this shop, Enter at your own risk knowing all the risk and my warnings. I had a starter and oil pan changed there on my DB1, The only reason I went was because my best friend was the manager and i know he wouldn't screw me over while I know the devilish money hound Sam would have loved to hype up my bill... And he made the attempt while my friend remained firm to his boss.

The San Francisco shop is 1350 Yosemite Ave... There is a Stockton shop I am unsure of the address as I dont have a business card on me for it that I wouldn't trust either.

Also, I would be aware of leaving your car there for other customers to test drive Exclamation

I would rather see Sam have no business then see anyone else be scammed by this shop.