1st Avenue European

Finding someone like Mike Floyd in today’s automotive world is rare. He’s not just a mechanic—he’s an ocean of knowledge when it comes to classic cars, especially my 1969 Mercedes W109 6.3. From the moment we spoke, his depth of expertise and genuine passion for these machines was evident. What truly sets Mike apart is his top-notch customer service. He takes the time to explain everything clearly, treats your car like his own, and never cuts corners. His attention to detail, patience, and respect for vintage engineering are second to none. Mike is a rare commodity these days—skilled, honest, and deeply committed to the craft. If you’re lucky enough to have him work on your car, consider yourself in the best hands possible.

I used to like this place, until my recent experience, and here is what happened: maybe a month ago or so, I had few issues with my old 1992 Mercedes SL 500, which has less than 102,000 on it. Since the car is old, and european, I came to 1st Ave European. Had pretty good experience with this place before, so decided to come back. I had some minor issues with the car, but one of them was the tail lights. Guys told me they will do evaluation and such (which isn't free) and will let me know how much it costs to fix. In approximately 2 hours I received a call from them, that someone who worked on my car before put wrong types of bulbs in, so they can replace them and it shouldn't cost that much to fix it along with oil leak and such. I came back to pick up my car the next day, since they called me and said it was ready. Everything seems fine, I paid and wend home. And this is where it all started: I opened the trunk and the light fixture was simply laying on the bottom of the trunk, not even being attached to the back of the car; when I picked up the car, I noticed some of my paperwork was laying on a passenger seat, despite the fact when I left the car with them, I put everything away. So I checked my glove compartment and noticed that I was missing paperwork with description of tests done by a different auto shop which worked on my car 2 weeks ago, with my CAR REGISTRATION AND MY TEMPORARY DRIVERS LICENSE ( I was in a process of updating my ID). It turned out, they went over my glove compartment (they weren't suppose to be there in a first place), and on top of that they misplaced my registration and a temp ID paper. So I had to come back next day and waste my time waiting there while they looked for my documents. After a bit, they found it all. Apparently, they went over the documentation which showed tests which were done by a different autoshop, and as an excuse, they told me "We didn't want to charge you for something you've already paid for". (How thoughtful, but since when auto mechanic cares about that?!) On top of that, this is was the reason why I came to 1st Ave European - TO GET A DIFFERENT OPINION, not go over the work someone else done before you. Of course, they were very apologetic and replaced all the lightbulbs totally free of charge (could've done it myself too), and in fact, the issue with the rear light remains the same - it doesn't work when I turn my headlights. Will not come back to service my car here, because 1) it's over-priced; 2) they are not honest; 3) they go over your glove compartment which is not even involved into oil leak nor rear light issue... 4) Lusti Motors does the same job for cheaper and in a more professional way, and on top of that, they fix european cars too. P.S I include the picture of how they left my light in the bottom of the trunk. They forgot to put the light back on, but didn't forget to charge me for the service. Notice, there is no middle lightbulb in the fixture at all.

My 51 year old Porsche had fuel and electric problems. They fixed and dialed in multiple things. It runs excellent great shop to work on your car.

Excellent service! Mike and his team have taken good care of my car and myself! Wouldn't trust another mechanic in San Diego with my bmw or audi. Thanks again!

First Ave. European really are top notch. I was recommended to Michael at First Ave. by a couple of mechanics that I know. Michael and his staff there spend the time to carefully diagnose, search , and find the best solution to my car problems, all the while keeping me informed. I have a vintage 1984 Mercedes 300SD Turbo Diesel, and I completely trust Michel and his staff to take care of any mechanical concerns that may arise! I have been back a couple of times since the last review, because I trust Michael to quickly diagnose and use common sense investigating issues with my Mercedes. Michael and his mechanics all took the time to thoroughly go over malfunctioning parts in my heater, various hoses and valves, and A/C connections. We finally got it right, after discovering that an earlier shop re-installed components the wrong way. I feel he has a depth of knowledge and experience that is priceless. I see that he is mentoring and training several young mechanics to keep the business going strong. When I want something done meticulously and correctly, I'll see Michael and 1St. Avenue European. Glenn