BAY AREA OLD SCHOOL : PERFORMANCE OPTIONS
When I headed up the San Francsico Bay Area last month to meet with Sunny Liang and his Reader Car of the Year-winning 240Z, we decided to meet up at Performance Options. This is Sunny’s neighborhood shop, and a place he can be found at regularly having work done on his Z or just hanging out and talking cars.
It looked like the shop had some very interesting projects going on, so I decided to share my findings with you guys.
This is not one of those huge, state of the art spotless workshops you sometimes see. No, Performance Options is more of a grassroots kind of place – tucked away on 7th Street in West Oakland.
At a glance it looks like your typical neighborhood repair shop – a place that specializes in oil changes and timing belt replacements. Joey Gauthier and the Performance Options crew also that kind of work, but what they are really known for is modifying and tuning vintage Japanese cars.
Whether it’s race cars or street cars, Performance Options’ impressive work was made clear by the cars that happened to be in the shop on the day I visited. In one corner of the garage was this AE86 that had undergone an S2000 F20C swap.
Now the F20C into 86 swap is fairly common these days, but this particular car is being built for street use and in the state of California that means complying with the our strict smog laws. Joey and the crew are transferring everything over from the S2000 in order to make this a legit, smog legal street machine.
Fortunately older cars like this 240Z are exempt from smog checks meaning there is less worry when doing an engine swap.
This particular Z is a low-cost street build undergoing a mild RB swap. Joey finds it important to work with his customers’ budgets whether they are a working on a low cost daily driver, a high dollar race build or something in between.
Another customer project in the shop was this KP61 Starlet that looked pretty stock on the outside…
…but under the hood is housing supercharged 4AGZE power.
Much of the chassis and suspension has been swapped out for AE86 parts, including the complete rear end assembly which gives the Starlet a wide stance. In this shot you can also see all the T3 suspension parts the car is equipped with.
Check the original brown interior complete with the factory steering wheel. Doesn’t do much to hint at the engine swap and upgraded chassis does it?
Sitting in another corner of the shop was this camouflage-painted Miata drift car.
Hmm, I don’t think that giant air filter is for the factory Miata four cylinder.
The little Roadster has been swapped with an LS1, creating a modern take on the classic Shelby Cobra formula.
Joey also showed me one of his personal projects that he tinkers on whenever he has time. A Hot Rod…
…with Toyota 3TC power.
Should be very cool to see once it’s done!
Next up Joey showed me the engine room, which was packed full of complete motors and other high performance parts.
I saw motors from all of the big Japanese makers crammed into this room. Here’s a a built SR20 for example.
Also a couple Honda B-series motors waiting for a home. Although there no Hondas at the shop the day I was there, Joey says they work on them quite often.
From there we headed outside to the storage lot behind the shop, which revealed even more interesting project cars.
This engine-less 86 coupe is awaiting an SR20 swap if I recall correctly. Just another one of the countless transplant patients that have come through Performance Options.
This flared TE27 Corolla is Joey’s personal race car and sees action regularly both at local autocross events and on the open track.
It’s powered by a fully built 3TC motor on sidedrafts. Yum.
This S13 (with an R32 front end conversion) is another customer project.
It actually has a half-completed VH45DE swap which the guys are planning to straighten out. As you can see, Joey and his crew work on quite a variety of engines.
Naturally, my eye was caught by yet another 240Z that was parked beside the shop.
Looking inside at the original appearing interior, you wouldn’t have a clue…
…that it’s sporting a very clean looking RB25DET swap.
Before wrapping up, I should mention the amazing mural that covers the side of the shop.
The painting was done by a friend of Joey’s and it makes the building quite an attraction among the locals. Apparently people stop by all the time just to check it out.
Yes, that’s a Datsun 510 Transformer. We approve.
Thanks to Joey for showing me around, and if you ever find yourself in the city of Oakland be sure to stop by.
Who knows what sort of crazy projects they might be working on?
-Mike Garrett
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Gotdamn ppl chill the hell out. Can there be one, just one post with out all this stupid arguing. You all give import ppl a bad name. So Fisherprice.
If you take offense re: your car being used to promote Performance Options on Speedhunters you should ask the pictures be taken off the site as some sort of intellectual property right (IPR). It seems you don't mind the car being promoted on the site but you bash on Joey as much as you want or can. I'm not saying they're perfect (but close to it ;)) as most shops who do this service are. It's getting rare to find shops willing to perform this kind of service for old school automobiles. It's easier to do the quick install of tried and tested parts on new cars rather than the untried and imperfect modifications to perform on old school autos. It's not like building a house where there is a fixed plan and design with ready-built components that can be cobbled together in a determinate amount of time. Even then, there will be drawbacks and delays. Try doing that without a plan. You seem to be sticking to the belief that since you obtained your JDM 4AGZE as a complete set-up with wiring harness and ECU, that it would run without any problems straight out of the box.
You've also stated that the shop has reached out and tried to make things right by doing a complete Megasquirt install at minimal to no charge and yet you still come out with fists flying. Shame on you for showing your true colors. You know you took those pictures of the wiring harness as the shop was in the middle of trying to diagnose as to what was wrong with the car. Of course everything would be in some sort of disarray.
You purposefully are trying to mislead people to the belief that Joey and Performance Options perform lackluster work. Lackluster work as evidenced by numerous modern engine swaps in old-school cars that are still running perfectly at this time like the dyno tested 350+++ rear wheel horsepower on an AE86 drift car with a stock turbo S2000 motor, Joey's personal race TE27 that performs every time even after being in storage for many months, my rally-cross TE75 that had 7 drivers take it around a ~half mile rough, dirt track 30 times on more than one occasion and is still ticking and going strong. If this is the kind of lackluster build as evidenced, I'm sticking with Joey and Performance Options.
@rallyTE75 maybe my expectations were way off. But I was just going on the "no problem" response I had gotten with every question. Shame on me? I already stated that they were finished diagnosing the problem. They said it was the ECU. I told them since I did not have the money to do a MS I was going to pick up the car and wait untill I had the money. They new it was bein picked up and should have had it ready to go. Not all torn apart. So spinn it however you want. It should have been redy to plug and drive. Shame on me? I don't want a Mega Squirt pnp. Not really as they are the base model and not what I want. Also it would not have solved the problem as the harness would have damaged the MS as well. Am I misleading people. With a list like this how can you say that. 1.car does not run properly after replacing the part that was guarenteed the problem. 2.engine hits the strut brace. 3.brakes don't function correctly. 4.intercooler pump not properly mounted or protected. 5. Water bottle overflow. 6. Rear shocks loose. 7. Nasty vibration at around 2500 rpm. 8. Improper ride hight. 9. Front end alignment so bad it is hard to drive on the highway. 10. Exhaust so loose it bangs into the bottom of the car. 11. After requesting items be fixed they were ignored. 12. No communication. 13. Unrealistic timelines....... Like I said your experience is not mine. Defending them is one thing but attacking me was the mistake. I would not have said a word here if not for there defenders attacking me. All you had to say is they did good work for you and I would have left it at that.
Why do so many people put in LS engines? They are no good. They cost too much. Unreliable. Overrated. Nothing against V8's but if you are going to go V8 then pick something where the parts don't cost 3x the normal price of regular parts.
1) good power2) not exactly a rare engine. variations were put into every RWD GM vehicle sine the late 90's3) they're actually far more reliable then most any other V8, or really any engine short of the 4L I6 from AMC and the 22RE Toyota motor4) parts are in every NAPA, Pepboys or O'reilly's you can find.
woah, i would definitely go there if i was in SF :D nice to see projects like that ;)
wow...never had any problems or complained about Performance options. They took care of my Datsun 510 and did it right the first time, not only just rebuilt the motor, even tuned my Dual webbers carbs correctly and suspension setup. will be back there next time as soon asi have another project, sounds like "Stupidstuff" just didnt get the correct parts or wiring harness or even info, sorry to hear.
everything takes time and rushing someone to finish does not help the end results. even though you had a harness and ecu those parts still could have been faulty. How many JDM motors are shipped running like crap with cut wires and many other problems. As for the suspension problems, yes there are tweaks and from your pictures the rear end looks to be all custom so, of course there will be some suspension problems that i'm sure can be fixed. However, rushing never helps. Maybe P.O. underestimated the time it would take considering the problems that came up and other cars that were ahead of yours. In the end keep your personal problems between you and the shop and deal with it with them not post it all around trying to tarnish their name/work. once your car is done it will be a beast but, everything doesn't happen the way you want it to all the time.
@harry assuming everything is working properly in the first place.
First performance options does great work. They worked on my s13 sr20 and it runs perfectly @ 15psi. The whole Starlet thing is stupid. Who in their right mind puts a JDM 4AGZE instead of a USDM 4AGZE? thats the first mistake, also you know or you should know that it's hard to find the correct wiring diagram needed to make it run properly; the harnesses/connectors/sensors are not the same. If you got a USDM your car would be done. very very poor choices you made. i also seen your little forum... stop crying so much; your car came a long way in 5 months which is no time at all for a custom build like that, your Starlet is not the only car in the shop!. Without performance options your Starlet would still be that peace of rusted crap it was when you first pulled in there.
white_s13sr20 "JDM 4AGZE instead of a USDM 4AGZE? thats the first mistake, also you know or you should know that it's hard to find the correct wiring diagram needed to make it run properly; the harnesses/connectors/sensors are not the same"
Surely the shop you're paying the big bucks to know that and will advise customers accordingly? Not bugger about nailing together a car that ultimately won't work without some expert knowledge and the risk of a pissed off punter... what about the binding brakes, rattling shocks and other lash-ups? That has sod-all to do with JDM vs USDM.
@white_s13sr20 first off I told them what engine I was getting before i ordered it and they said no problem. I ran all the parts I was planning to use by them to ensure I was not giving them something they could not handle and they said nothing. If a JDM was such an issue why did they not tell me this. Or why not have me just get a usdm harness and ecu? I got emails to prove they knew what engine I was getting. Instead they said "if it has a harness and ECU we can make it work" second if It takes so long then why quote me two months, just tell the truth. Third I know it is not the only car there. But it sat for MONTHS waiting on nothing. I told them I had to have it by april first and they said "no problem" Look I know they usually do good work and this is an exception but when I am told something I expect it to be done as stated. When it was stated to be done. Otherwise I get bent. Also if anyone else wants to defend this shop based on your experience with them just remember you are not me and our builds are vastly different. Also every experience is different, yours was good, mine has been handled very poorly. They admitted that much already. I want to be a PO fanboy as much as the next guy because i love there work, but.... Again. They delivered a car with many unfinished items and haistay thrown together parts. I have proof of everything I have said. You can't explain away the incomplete or halfassed stuff.
white_s13sr20 If you replaced all the sensors and computer junk with any form of carb, the car would be done a lot faster too.
Cool post! Those cars really rocks! http://www.mycampertrailer.com.au/
Wicked cool stuff and its shops like these that really keep the community flowing with cool project cars in the best way. great feature
more shop visits please!!!! awesome!
SO, lots of people talk about this garage. This should be good. Can you open a garage like this in my town, please? :)
What makes me curious.. is why in the hell would you have driven it if it was so bad when you picked up your car? Why did you even pick it up to begin with if it was as bad as you claimed? Things just don't seem to be adding up for me, just a thought is all.
@Jmag They said it was ready to be driven home. It only developed the problems half way home. I also did not know it was running rich as I had no rich lean gauge at the time. Again they said it was ready for delivery. Also after 5 months I wanted my car and was hoping I could finish up the little things. Unfortunatly there were to many major issues. The second time I picked it up was to fire he shop as they were not doing anything to complete the things I had listed after three weeks. The only reason I took it back a third time is I like Joey and wanted to avoid a sue.I don't want something for nothing do I gave them a third chance. Also I answer this very question in detail my thread on kp61.net
sorry to say but it just sounds like you made a dumb decision
My final word is this. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and some may say there was nothing like I claim wrong the day I picked it up, but I got the pics to prove it. Date stamped and all. I also replaced what they said was the problem. At my cost only to have the same issues we started with the last time. I know they have done great work and can still do great work. I just want what I was sold. So go ahead and bash my character and Claim I am on drugs and dont have a clue but I got the proof.
Stupidstuff Sorry you got a sore deal bud. I read a couple of yelp reviews of the shop, where there is smoke there is fire.
Again my thread speaks for itself. http://www.kp61.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9405&page=9
The oem crimps were exposed in the harness. Lol. Is that OEM? Proving it was not inspected. If you don't like the way I smell then that's to bad. It's Oakland I would think you would be used to it. Also, It did not run great. It ran ok and drove like shit on the way home. All over the place due to them not setting the alignment the way i wanted. It had an engine light on as well. Ya ran great and pured like a kitten with all the things unpluged and a hole in the intake behind the filter. Just look at the pics. Great work like a water bottle rad can and my strut tower brace hitting the engine. Or like the back brakes roaring all the way home and not functioning correctly? Or maybe the rear shocks so loose they needed 4 washers to stop them rattling around.......If you can't offer anything other than dispersians on my character then try some evidence like I have provided. My build log speaks for it self. If you know Joey then you know the situation behind his absense from the shop and the effect it has had. Don't make me the bad guy for wanting what I paid for.
I know what I saw, and the things you claim were there when you picked up the car, weren't there.
Besides, do you know that you have a JDM 4AGZE and not a USDM one? I don't think so. Not by the comments you have made. There is a difference. And funny, I know Performance Options called you opnce a week on the status of your car. Why? because that's the way they do business.
@squirrel886 so was the ride higth I requested set correctly that day? Was the ABV line run correctly? They admitted the brakes were making noise and hoped it would stop. Was the engine hitting the tower brace? Was the intercooler plumbed with brass? Was the pump loosely mounted unprotected in the fender? We're the tires rubbing????? So I mess all this up on he way home?
@squirrel886 You know I have hade a look at my phone reccords and untill I got upset I had received 4 calls in 3 months. I know all about what I have. Again read my thread as I have the entire history of the 4 agze in it lol. All three types produced and there differences. I was the one who told them it was a ae101 I know exactly what the differences are lol. Again READ THE THREAD. I started off a bit over sellout and short on info but by the time I took them the parts I was up to speed.
I know what I saw, and the things you claim were there when you picked up the car, weren't there.
Besides, do you know that you have a JDM 4AGZE and not a USDM one? I don't think so. Not by the comments you have made. There is a difference. And funny, I know Performance Options called you opnce a week on the status of your car. Why? because that's the way they do business.
.......and before you say I don't know what I'm talking about, I've been wrenching on Toyotas since 1981. My first car was a 1976 Celica GT Liftback w/ an 18RG swap I did myself.
I have since had cars featured in magazines, have built cars(running) for SEMA, and have done R&D work for top manufacturers.
And yes I do know about the time he was away as I was helping him deal w/ that also.
And just so you all know, the street racing you guys are referring to is AT THE PORT. Which happens to be miles from where Performance Options is located. Joey has worked on alot of my cars, from clutch installs, chassis fabrication/modication, and forced injection, etc. His work has always been top-notch and I've never had to bring anything back to him for adjustment.
I was Performance Options several times when the KP61 was there and also when it was just dropped off.
The owner smelled like he was hitting the bong all the way from his house to the shop. He has NO CLUE the crimps on the wiring harness are OEM.
I was there the day before the owner picked up the car and it ran perfect, purred like a kitten. I don't know what the owner did in the 200+ miles he drove before bringing it back. But it did run nice the week before he picked it up.
man this shop is still open and taking ppls money for crap work?
You can tell the dude clearly got used motor set up thought it was "THE BEST THING ON EARTH" and put a bunch of china made parts onto it........when u polish a turd its still a turd buddy......7k for work....is worth it if you take in account that repair shops charge 100-120 a hour......so 70 hrs is about right.......oh by the way its a starlet, i hope you know its a pos...... and btw love the crappy seat covers....
youraloser Don't label a car. Especially not a light RWD car. You're a hero. You come on here with a misspelt name to trash talk a guy who was trying to do something out of the ordinary within a budget. He's being very reasonable with his criticism of the workshop and backing it up with evidence. The workshop's build quality didn't live up to their reputation and they exceeded their quote.
Crap!! As soon as I move out of the bay I hear about this place, CRAP!!!, I'm checking this place out for sure when I get my 20V blacktop for my 85 notchback
Performance Options have given me nothing short of top quality work. When no other shops could take on my request, they stepped up to the plate. I consider all of them honest people and consider them some of my closest friends. I also work at a general automotive repair shops, and I know what's its like to get bad reviews. I have nothing but GREAT things to say about Performance Options. They have done great work for me in the past, and I will continue to support them with business in the future. +1 for Performance Options!
http://forums.club4ag.com/zerothread?id=65616Above is a link to my build thread, some of Performance Options work can be seen there. Work that I'm proud to say was done to my car.
http://youtu.be/PK_RfjGRuN0The car performs.
It sad to read these post! What happen to people doing there own swaps and learning and having long nights in there garage trying to see why they cant get that swap going.
@james To each their own brother, we all have reasons
Boy, this post sure opened up a can of worms.
Anonymous? Being anonymous, Anonymous, is a bit cowardly and anonymous isn't it? Sounds to me that Revcyanide is on the button protecting the rest of us from shoddy work and iffy electricals. Bugger that. If i'm ever in Oakland it won't be &th Street, not after reading that build thread...
Or 7th Street even...
I've only heard good things about Performance Options. Whats up with this?
How so, mr anonymous?
ApexHunter I'm not mr anonymous, but you can't pigeon hole a business because of their location, and proximity to street racing. If that's the case, then all shops near Milpitis can't be trusted because there was street racing there...
Andy Y Your name was just showing as anonymous. I'm not necessarily condemning a shop because of its location. I was going to say that the other posts below come as now surprise to me,BUT after reading your other post I see that the situation was not necessarily clear to everyone. I retract what I saw that "there's your answer" in relation to 7th street. I'd still be more cautious with shops right on 7th.
ApexHunter I'm sorry, I thought I registered to post my name, by I didn't post the "whoever made that coment...". And thank you for being reasonable.
I am honestly not saying they were perfect, because it probably could have been handled better in some way, but message boards are very one-sided in this way. A shop can very rarely respond to something like that, and come away looking better. I don't work for them, but they've done a LOT of work on my car and I know Joey tries very hard to work with his customers.
-Andy (the brown Z is mine by the way)
7th street Oakland..... Well there's your answer.... 7th street is famous for street racing. Not hating, but I would be wary of places in Oakland.
revcyanide You mean just like a factory Toyota harness. The factory uses tape and crimp connectors. See pics! You need to shut up and do some research. All factory wiring Subaru Nissan Toyota etc all use tape and crimp connectors.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v42/driftin_180sx/P1040012.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v42/driftin_180sx/P1040013.jpg
driftin_180sx
I am aware of this, however If I am paying a shop good money to make a harness, I expect the best quality possible.Also if you look at the build thread, there was a lot of plugs to no where, sensors that were not hooked up, and the hacked up wiring harness actually caused an ECU to fry.I was just posting something that happened recently. just read the build thread man. You'll see why I was pointing it out.
performance options has always been one of those really trustworthy shops. it really gets old of having to deal with shady shops with their shady owners. i've seen them handle the biggest swaps and mods to the littlest mods. everything has been done with expertise and aesthetically clean. big ups performance options crew!
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