Santa Monica Collision Center

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. One morning, a delivery driver pulled up to the Santa Monica Collision Center and asked the mechanic, ‘Is it just me, or do your cars always look happier after repairs?’ The mechanic smiled and replied, 'They're not just cars—we give them a little TLC!' A few minutes later, an old neighbor walked in and said, 'Hey, I see you're fixing those smiles again.' The mechanic nodded with a twinkle in his eye.

2. One day, while waiting for her dad's car to be fixed, a little girl noticed something strange happening in the workshop. A mechanic was adjusting a dashboard, but every time he touched it, the radio started playing an old song from her favorite TV show. Curious, she asked him why it happened. With a big smile, the mechanic replied, 'That's because your dad always listens to that same old tune when he's driving.' The little girl laughed and said, 'Then my dad will never know!' They both chuckled as they watched the mechanic adjust the radio one last time.

3. One night, a neighbor walking his dog noticed an odd humming sound coming from the Santa Monica Collision Center. Curious, he peered inside through the open door and saw workers adjusting something that seemed almost too perfect—like they were assembling not just cars, but dreams themselves. Suddenly, one worker turned around with a mischievous smile and winked at him. The neighbor, startled, quickly scurried away, muttering something about ‘weirdos fixing cars in the middle of the night.’ Next morning, when a delivery driver came for parts, he found the shop closed and a note on the door: “Closed for Dream Maintenance.”

4. One afternoon, a mechanic was adjusting a car's engine when he heard a strange clicking noise coming from outside. Curious, he stepped out of the workshop only to see a squirrel frantically trying to fix its own nest using tiny nuts and bolts. The mechanic laughed and approached the little guy, gently taking over his makeshift tools. Together they managed to finish the real repairs quickly. As the squirrel scurried off with his tiny toolbox, the mechanic waved goodbye. From then on, whenever there was a noisy job around, neighbors would joke that Santa Monica’s very own ‘squirrel helper’ was doing overtime.