You're probably used to auto mechanics doing a lot of upselling. At Long Automotive, they practice downselling. “Hey Long, do I need new brakes?” “No, they're OK.” “What about the struts?” “No, you don't need that.” When Long says something needs to be fixed, you can be confident that it's actually broken. And whatever you expect it to cost, the bill probably will be less. He doesn't always explain everything, and his handwriting on the invoice is all but illegible. And if you're the kind of customer who wants a mechanic to go looking for problems to solve, this is not the place for you. But if you live in this neighborhood, chances are that your identity is not bound up in your car and what you want, basically, is to keep it on the road as long as possible. Long is the guy for that. 2801 Rowena Ave., Silver Lake; (323) 668-0810.

—Gene Maddaus

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