End of an Era for Family of Mechanics

Schuster & Sons, an auto repair shop in Laguna Canyon known for personal service, will decelerate to a stop in a few months after the July 4 death of its patriarch, William Schuster.

Schuster, 90, who initially opened a garage on Coast Highway in the ‘60s, apparently wanted the place to close after his death, according to longtime customer Greg Nichols, who said he heard the news last week from Schuster’s sons, Pat and Mike.

In a brief phone interview, Mike declined to discuss his father or the future of the garage. “We have a couple of months worth of work to clear out,” he said.

Nichols recalled Schuster as cantankerous, determined and generous with his time, “who did things no one else wanted to do” to diagnose problems on his cars. Nichols’ vehicles typically bore the MacGyver tinkering of a non-expert rather than the pristine muscle cars Schuster mechanics also labored over, Nichols said.

“They’re the best mechanics in town,” said Nichols, who as a teen got to know the Schusters because his mother preferred their service for her Cadillac to the dealer. Both were close to home. The original garage location at Anita Street and Coast Highway was blocks away from the dealer, Allen Cadillac, located on the inland side of Coast Highway between Oak and Brook Street.

City records show the William and Agnes Schuster Trust purchased property in Laguna Canyon in 1974 for $45,000.