[nightops]

Hi all- just wanted to share my experience with this shop and see if i'm alone on this- About 6 months ago my car went out of warranty so i decided to to a carbon blast at LTBMW after seeing the good price on the group buy here.

So I called and talked to Long on the phone and when i mentioned the group buy price he said he could do it for that! Great! So i plan a day where my wife can drive the 45min to the shop and take me home. When i get there, they kind of had me waiting after they made some calls. I asked if i could go and they were like- 'we thought you needed a rental- its included in the price!' i was like wow thats a really good deal! i wish i knew that before i made my wife come here.

Before i left, i made sure to ask them if they could take before and after pictures of the valves to make sure they were clean. I also asked them to do an oil change and computer reset. Anyway, i leave the car, and i get a call saying that its done the following day. I come back on the weekend excited to pickup my car and see what has done...I ask to see the pictures and the tech shows them to me on an iphone and i can barely see whats going on but it looks like they're cleaner. I say fine can you email those to me- he says sure and i give my email.

I drive my car home, everything feels about the same- but i'm sure they've prolly done the work that was asked for. I wait the whole day, no pics sent. I call the next day- ask to speak to the girl i talked to- and the guy on the line says 'oh she doesnt work here any more' huh? ok well i ask him if he can get the tech to email them. he says he'll check but that tech is out today but he'll let him know. fine- i wait another day, no email. Call back next day- this time the girl that i was told 'no longer works there' answers and says- she'll get the tech to send it- One more day goes by- no pics. Finally i make one last effort and the guy tells me the tech no longer has the pix cause he emailed them and deleted them...wtf!

So i no longer even know if the work was done- and i just recently got a service warning saying i need to bring my car to the dealer. well i bring it to the dealer and they say the computer is telling me i need an oil change because its been over a year- I thought LTBMW reset the computer after the oil change! At this point i'm suspicious that any work was done given that they didnt do that simple part and charged as much as the stealership...Anybody have a similar experience?

[ferocity02]

Sounds like you might need to call BMWNA and see what they say.

My car had walnut shell bits all over the engine bay afterwards (not too happy about that), so if you see any then that my indicate that they did the blasting.

[nightops]

Originally Posted by ferocity02

Sounds like you might need to call BMWNA and see what they say.

My car had walnut shell bits all over the engine bay afterwards (not too happy about that), so if you see any then that my indicate that they did the blasting.

Actually Long Tran bMW is a well known indy shop around here- So no help from BMWNA. I didnt notice any of them walnut bits though-where's you get yours?

[canny714]

Originally Posted by nightops

Actually Long Tran bMW is a well known indy shop around here- So no help from BMWNA. I didnt notice any of them walnut bits though-where's you get yours?

I got my walnut blast from McKenna BMW by Charles. He took great care of me, I got a rental for free and he sent me pics of the walnut blast with my paperwork in hand so I knew it was from when my car and not a pic of another car. You need to ask him about the price, but for what I paid that included a rental, it was probably less than what you paid. FYI, I called LTMW for a price on oil change and they quoted me 500$ over the phone. Ridiculous. Go to Charles, he's awesome, no BS, excellent customer service and I can feel the car is rock steady and fast like a mofo. Thanks again Charles if you see this.

[AzureHaze]

I've dealt with them a couple of times in the past and while they do get the job done, they don't exactly run a professional business. I think of them more like a backyard mod shop.

[jiajesse0923]

Originally Posted by canny714

I got my walnut blast from McKenna BMW by Charles. He took great care of me, I got a rental for free and he sent me pics of the walnut blast with my paperwork in hand so I knew it was from when my car and not a pic of another car. You need to ask him about the price, but for what I paid that included a rental, it was probably less than what you paid. FYI, I called LTMW for a price on oil change and they quoted me 500$ over the phone. Ridiculous. Go to Charles, he's awesome, no BS, excellent customer service and I can feel the car is rock steady and fast like a mofo. Thanks again Charles if you see this.

What's the name of Charles's shop? Is it in OC or LA?

[hongsc]

Wait Melissa don't work there anymore?

McKenna BMW
10900 Firestone Blvd, Norwalk, CA 90650

And yeah their work is hit or miss. People rave about LTMW but from personal experience it's hit or miss.

[YMB_F80]

Originally Posted by canny714

I got my walnut blast from McKenna BMW by Charles. He took great care of me, I got a rental for free and he sent me pics of the walnut blast with my paperwork in hand so I knew it was from when my car and not a pic of another car. You need to ask him about the price, but for what I paid that included a rental, it was probably less than what you paid. FYI, I called LTMW for a price on oil change and they quoted me 500$ over the phone. Ridiculous. Go to Charles, he's awesome, no BS, excellent customer service and I can feel the car is rock steady and fast like a mofo. Thanks again Charles if you see this.

Not an oil change, a spark plug and coils change, with those parts included.

Originally Posted by hongsc

Wait Melissa don't work there anymore?

McKenna BMW
10900 Firestone Blvd, Norwalk, CA 90650

And yeah their work is hit or miss. People rave about LTMW but from personal experience it's hit or miss.

Yeah shes no longer there.

Originally Posted by nightops

Hi all- just wanted to share my experience with this shop and see if i'm alone on this- About 6 months ago my car went out of warranty so i decided to to a carbon blast at LTBMW after seeing the good price on the group buy here.

So I called and talked to Long on the phone and when i mentioned the group buy price he said he could do it for that! Great! So i plan a day where my wife can drive the 45min to the shop and take me home. When i get there, they kind of had me waiting after they made some calls. I asked if i could go and they were like- 'we thought you needed a rental- its included in the price!' i was like wow thats a really good deal! i wish i knew that before i made my wife come here.

Before i left, i made sure to ask them if they could take before and after pictures of the valves to make sure they were clean. I also asked them to do an oil change and computer reset. Anyway, i leave the car, and i get a call saying that its done the following day. I come back on the weekend excited to pickup my car and see what has done...I ask to see the pictures and the tech shows them to me on an iphone and i can barely see whats going on but it looks like they're cleaner. I say fine can you email those to me- he says sure and i give my email.

I drive my car home, everything feels about the same- but i'm sure they've prolly done the work that was asked for. I wait the whole day, no pics sent. I call the next day- ask to speak to the girl i talked to- and the guy on the line says 'oh she doesnt work here any more' huh? ok well i ask him if he can get the tech to email them. he says he'll check but that tech is out today but he'll let him know. fine- i wait another day, no email. Call back next day- this time the girl that i was told 'no longer works there' answers and says- she'll get the tech to send it- One more day goes by- no pics. Finally i make one last effort and the guy tells me the tech no longer has the pix cause he emailed them and deleted them...wtf!

So i no longer even know if the work was done- and i just recently got a service warning saying i need to bring my car to the dealer. well i bring it to the dealer and they say the computer is telling me i need an oil change because its been over a year- I thought LTBMW reset the computer after the oil change! At this point i'm suspicious that any work was done given that they didnt do that simple part and charged as much as the stealership...Anybody have a similar experience?

PM coming your way.

[Maximo'sE82]

Originally Posted by nightops

Hi all- just wanted to share my experience with this shop and see if i'm alone on this- About 6 months ago my car went out of warranty so i decided to to a carbon blast at LTBMW after seeing the good price on the group buy here.

So I called and talked to Long on the phone and when i mentioned the group buy price he said he could do it for that! Great! So i plan a day where my wife can drive the 45min to the shop and take me home. When i get there, they kind of had me waiting after they made some calls. I asked if i could go and they were like- 'we thought you needed a rental- its included in the price!' i was like wow thats a really good deal! i wish i knew that before i made my wife come here.

Before i left, i made sure to ask them if they could take before and after pictures of the valves to make sure they were clean. I also asked them to do an oil change and computer reset. Anyway, i leave the car, and i get a call saying that its done the following day. I come back on the weekend excited to pickup my car and see what has done...I ask to see the pictures and the tech shows them to me on an iphone and i can barely see whats going on but it looks like they're cleaner. I say fine can you email those to me- he says sure and i give my email.

I drive my car home, everything feels about the same- but i'm sure they've prolly done the work that was asked for. I wait the whole day, no pics sent. I call the next day- ask to speak to the girl i talked to- and the guy on the line says 'oh she doesnt work here any more' huh? ok well i ask him if he can get the tech to email them. he says he'll check but that tech is out today but he'll let him know. fine- i wait another day, no email. Call back next day- this time the girl that i was told 'no longer works there' answers and says- she'll get the tech to send it- One more day goes by- no pics. Finally i make one last effort and the guy tells me the tech no longer has the pix cause he emailed them and deleted them...wtf!

So i no longer even know if the work was done- and i just recently got a service warning saying i need to bring my car to the dealer. well i bring it to the dealer and they say the computer is telling me i need an oil change because its been over a year- I thought LTBMW reset the computer after the oil change! At this point i'm suspicious that any work was done given that they didnt do that simple part and charged as much as the stealership...Anybody have a similar experience?

I think is a hit or miss , I when there like 7 months ago my car was sputtering like crazy so first I went to the dealership and they told me it was injectors , coils, spark plugs and I needed a intake valve clean $4,700 all for parts and labor , F**** that ! So I hit up LTBMW cuz they have a lot of great reviews , I got in on a group buy and got a rental with a free extra day and they took care of the extra day rental as well for $2,200 spark plugs , coil packs , injectors installed and code plus the intake valve clean , great f**** deal I said , got my car back two days later and ran good , so I ask the tech if it would be safe to put all my mods back and he said "yeah with out a problem " so I went along and FBO and tuned my ride and ran map 1 on my jb4 g5 , ran perfect . So I went along and filled up on 100 oct (8 gal ) and the rest 91 so I could go to Map 2 on my jb4 G5 , F**** n car starts to sputter after a good run , I was like WTF ! I just dropped over 2k and shit is running like be for , so I went to my local dealer ship and they tell me I need coils and spark plugs , I order them on line and I slapped them on my self , car runs fine now but I'm not to sure about LTBMW is as honest as people really think tho. But then again all shops are a lot alike , some times they do a great job and some times they do not .

[OPe92]

Originally Posted by MAXIMO'sE92

I think is a hit or miss , I when there like 7 months ago my car was sputtering like crazy so first I went to the dealership and they told me it was injectors , coils, spark plugs and I needed a intake valve clean $4,700 all for parts and labor , F**** that ! So I hit up LTBMW cuz they have a lot of great reviews , I got in on a group buy and got a rental with a free extra day and they took care of the extra day rental as well for $2,200 spark plugs , coil packs , injectors installed and code plus the intake valve clean , great f**** deal I said , got my car back two days later and ran good , so I ask the tech if it would be safe to put all my mods back and he said "yeah with out a problem " so I went along and FBO and tuned my ride and ran map 1 on my jb4 g5 , ran perfect . So I went along and filled up on 100 oct (8 gal ) and the rest 91 so I could go to Map 2 on my jb4 G5 , F**** n car starts to sputter after a good run , I was like WTF ! I just dropped over 2k and shit is running like be for , so I went to my local dealer ship and they tell me I need coils and spark plugs , I order them on line and I slapped them on my self , car runs fine now but I'm not to sure about LTBMW is as honest as people really think tho. But then again all shops are a lot alike , some times they do a great job and some times they do not .

It's definitely hit or miss with them. I had a bad experience with them and would never go back. Look up my post history if you are interested. They hacked up my brand new eisenmann mufflers

[to_riffic]

I used to go there, sadly, it just isn't the same place it used to be.

[Maximo'sE82]

This is the reason why I don't take my car to a shop or dealer , people are not honest any more , I'll rather do the work my self so if I F*** it up I did it , just last week I did my water pump and thermostat , took me about 2 hours to do and save my self some $$$

[boogiee90]

Originally Posted by ra2fanatic

I used to go there, sadly, it just isn't the same place it used to be.

exactly what im thinking. I used to bring my car for all services and I used to tell all my BMW friends to go there, but when the shop got more popular, customer service went down. I trust Long, Ivan, Rene, and Phuong doin all the work and customer service was top notch. Now you cant even have a simple inquiry about something over the phone. RUDE RUDE RUDE people answering the phone.

My car got rear ended last year and they did all the work. I had and mtech rear with duke dynamic quad diffuser $545. I told them to replace everything with just the same parts, but unfortunately it takes months for them to get the diffuser, so i settled with an oem performance diffuser(dual) which cost less and was quoted $300 plus some change. All the work was finished and I asked for the refund but never got it. WOW. then i just got tired of waiting and totally forgot about it.

[twinship]

Interesting to watch LTMW's fall from grace on these boards.

Several years ago, he could do no wrong. Fast forward to today, and the consensus is very different.

What happened...?

[rooringhusky]

I've had multiple bad experiences with LTBMW/LTMW. Couple were minor but one was so major that I will never support the group of unethical, money hungry people who work there that never take responsibility for the damage they cause. In addition, I have also met 2 forum members like the OP who have paid for walnut shell blasting from them with no evidence of walnut shells, improvement in the car, or even proof with pictures that could be provided even when asked multiple times.

With that said I know of a guy in the OC that does walnut shell blasting that will let you watch him and will show you pictures of the work. He is dirty cheap too and a much better alternate then the snakes at that shop. I hope people learn from our experiences in this thread, but with so many people who ride their brand name blindly I doubt it will ever surface or change the way people think.

[to_riffic]

Originally Posted by boogiee90

exactly what im thinking. I used to bring my car for all services and I used to tell all my BMW friends to go there, but when the shop got more popular, customer service went down. I trust Long, Ivan, Rene, and Phuong doin all the work and customer service was top notch. Now you cant even have a simple inquiry about something over the phone. RUDE RUDE RUDE people answering the phone.

My car got rear ended last year and they did all the work. I had and mtech rear with duke dynamic quad diffuser $545. I told them to replace everything with just the same parts, but unfortunately it takes months for them to get the diffuser, so i settled with an oem performance diffuser(dual) which cost less and was quoted $300 plus some change. All the work was finished and I asked for the refund but never got it. WOW. then i just got tired of waiting and totally forgot about it.

I have a stock wheel on their rack somewhere. Sadly, I'll never see it again. It isn't worth anything reselling, but principle I guess. I go elsewhere, and I'm in a happier place now. I'm sure the guys there are reading this and can imagine the crap talking on me, but I'm okay with that.

I knew they did great work before, but it's not the same and for it to be the same again the guys there really have to dig deep and go back to their roots, actually giving a shit about people, their car and modding them.

[MS EFF-THIRTY]

For you that don't know, Ivan opened a shop in West Covina and is very loyal to his customers and friends. There is also Platteforme Ag very close by. Very clean work, organized and great turn around time. I'm sure many people can vouch for these shops on the forums.

[twinship]

Originally Posted by MS EFF-THIRTY

For you that don't know, Ivan opened a shop in West Covina and is very loyal to his customers and friends. There is also Platteforme Ag very close by. Very clean work, organized and great turn around time. I'm sure many people can vouch for these shops on the forums.

Do you have more info on Ivan's shop?

The times I had work done at LTMS I was always impressed by his professionalism and attention to detail. Good dude!

[Tim07e90]

Originally Posted by boogiee90

exactly what im thinking. I used to bring my car for all services and I used to tell all my BMW friends to go there, but when the shop got more popular, customer service went down. I trust Long, Ivan, Rene, and Phuong doin all the work and customer service was top notch. Now you cant even have a simple inquiry about something over the phone. RUDE RUDE RUDE people answering the phone.

My car got rear ended last year and they did all the work. I had and mtech rear with duke dynamic quad diffuser $545. I told them to replace everything with just the same parts, but unfortunately it takes months for them to get the diffuser, so i settled with an oem performance diffuser(dual) which cost less and was quoted $300 plus some change. All the work was finished and I asked for the refund but never got it. WOW. then i just got tired of waiting and totally forgot about it.

Ivan is no longer working there, hence why they're no longer ethical.

[Tim07e90]

Ivan has now opened up StrasseSport in Covina. Work will take a little longer since he's currently a one man shop but rest assure you will not receive the unprofessional service that LTMW has fallen to. And yes, I've been had by them too. I was so disappointed by that experience that I now go elsewhere. They only bow down to people or individuals with money and are willing to throw down the cash that they want. Believe me the auto world is small and I know of the behind the scenes of the customers (good paying one's too) who've been screwed there. Unfortunately the great and good workers have left.

[SunyD]

Unfortunately I have had a bad experience with them as well. Not terrible but bad enough that I will not be going back or refering anyone.

Had my walnut shell blasting done by them, and also didnt get any pictures after repeated requests. Makes me think they just have one set of standard pics from some intake valve cleaning and just show everyone those on the iphone. Theres really no way of knowing if its your car after all.

Anyway, left the car overnight and was promised it would be done in the morning...it was not. After calling 4 or 5 times throughout the morning, I finally get someone that can tell me that they just started and it would be done in the afternoon. They eventually call me to come pick up the car in the late afternoon saying its all done and ready to go, however when I arrive the car is still being worked on and I sit in their waiting area for 3 hours while people are f'n around in the back. By this time the rental car place is closed but they say dont worry about it, they will return the car for me and they "know" the people at enterprise so it wont be a problem. Ha!

So I leave and jump on the freeway and BAM my car is in reduced power mode. DV popped off the charge pipe. Go back to LT and see that the grey twist locks on the CP are broken and the DV just slides in and out. Obviously they say it was like when I brought it in that and it was just by chance it just popped off. I say ok whatever, I have no proof and I need to go home. Ended up needing to replace it which cost me a new CP that I didnt need.

Best part is I get a call the next day from enterprise saying I didnt return the car on time and they charged me a late fee and an extra day... Called LT and of course they have no idea whats going on but they "will look into it." Never heard back and the charge from enterprise was never reversed.


Thought I was getting a great deal from a reputable shop with good reviews, ended up paying more then if I went to the damn dealer. At least then I know it would have been done correctly and get a bmw loaner, not a junky chevy beater..../rant...

[ZhengHai]

Wow! Everyone seems to have had really bad experience with them. Unfortunately mines not as bad since I have a 328xi but I would like to know how everyone's bumpers turned out. I got my m3 rep bumper from them and it's a single stage paint job. I never asked them how they were going to paint it and what not but I would say about 3 months of having the bumper I got a chip right in the middle of it. I didn't do anything about it but I prolly should have. I later on asked about an mtec rear and how the paint will hold up? Since mine chipped already and I didn't want the rear to be as cheap as the front bumper. And they told me to take better care of it. Seriously? Lol I don't got around smashing my car into dead carcasses on the freeway. Trying the chip my paint. Like I said not that big of a deal but I haven't been back since. Does anyone else have similar paint jobs?