I’m walking in front of a wall of colorful swatches like it’s a museum and they make me think of Fast and the Furious, and all nine of them. The swatches are for the cars in the garage. They come in different shades of green, yellow, purple and blue along with the basic black. The crazy thing isn’t the unique shiny colors but they’re not swatches for paint. They’re swatches for wraps! I’m in Diamond Auto Salon in Westlake Village, across the street from the YMCA, where they specialize in an array of services to give your car a makeover.
Diamond Auto Salon has two garages which are two warehouses in this business park. According to owner Zack Kaplan, he describes the smaller garage as the Killer Room and “It’s where the magic happens”. There are also a few more other cars they work on that need special attention. The larger garage is the service area where they work on the vinyl wraps, detailing, clear bra, ceramic coating, caliper wrap, powder coating, window tinting, wheels and tires. Since it is larger, it stores the cars indoors rather than leaving them outdoors under the elements. I was blown away with the service, how cool and professional they are and what they did with my Porsche. If you’re wanting to give your car a boost, I give 3 reasons to give your car a makeover with Diamond Auto Salon.
It’s Just Not the Look but the Protection
I’m seeing it everywhere in the 805 area, specifically in Westlake Village. Cars are driving around with a matte finish. It’s the latest trend and Diamond Auto Salon covers that niche like the vinyl wrap itself, no pun intended. However, it’s more than the look but the protection it gets from the vinyl wrap.
The wrap is a self healing hydrophobic protective film. It protects from rocks, chips and minor scratches. Zack told us one of the clients watched a slow moving grocery cart hit the car and there was no damage. Similar to the clear bra, the paint protection film is made by STEK which is a new company with the latest technology of protection film. Applying the vinyl film is not an easy task. The process is about an average of 50 hours, and it takes more than two guys to work on applying the film. This is what makes Diamond Auto Salon stand out from their competitors who use pre-cut kits. They work on each panel separately so they can tuck the film in the panels.
Keep on Turning
Next to the colorful swatches is a wall of wheels. All different designs and in different shades of black and gray. There are a couple of gold plated for the customer who would like something custom. Above the wheels in big black letters is Vossen, a favorite to any car enthusiast. Diamond Auto Salon is one the largest dealers of Vossen Wheels, a Miami based company that manufactures these popular wheels. Its specialty is utilizing an advanced and traditional casting process called flow forming. This maximizes the strength of the wheel and minimizes the weight. They carry entry forged wheels to customs forged wheels which is what I have on my Porsche. They also powder coated the wheels which prevents the car from getting scratches if I get too close to the curb.
No Painting Required
I took my Porsche to Diamond Auto Salon for its transformation. In 2019, I bought a Porsche in Guards Red, the iconic Porsche red that is popular for decades. Instead of trading in my car or having it repainted, which seems crazy, I went to Diamond Auto Salon to change the color to Satin Frozen Vanilla. I also added custom Vossen wheels. In a week I got my car back looking like a brand new car. There is not a trace of red even when I open the doors. There was a 2014 car in a dull black color and they ordered a Satin Black Rock Grey color. You could not tell the car was more than 7 years old. The film also has a built in top gel that is hydrophobic and will continuously have this gloss. So the car won’t have to be waxed every three months.
Zack started the business in 2019. He worked in another custom car company prior but ventured out to create his own based on his own work ethics. It shows in his work and with his employees. Zack is a down to earth kind of guy who loves cars and there is nothing wrong with that. While looking around and seeing what services they offer, I noticed an automobile tucked away in the back. The doors were wide open, and that caught my eye because they opened like French doors. It was a 2021 Rolls Royce Phantom. It was getting the full service of clear wrap. From afar, I watched as the guys meticulously placed the wrap on the panel. It’s like artwork.
I was very happy with how my Porsche turned out. Again you cannot tell it was once a red car. I highly recommend Diamond Auto Salon and give you 3 reasons to give your car a makeover when you are ready. If you are interested in transforming your car and running with the likes of all the other cars in the 805 area, then go to Diamond Auto Salon. Here is their website and social media links:
Their Website: https://www.thediamondautosalon.com/
Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/TheDiamondAutoSalon/
Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/thediamondautosalon/
Check out our Youtube video!
Enjoy the ride!
~ Sergio Gonzalez