The new owner of Sunset Auto Care at Irving and 40th Avenue was featured on the local TV news as a mechanic who volunteered to help police crack down on catalytic converter thefts.

Isaiah Zazi lives just a few blocks from his garage and every night he could hear the tell-tale sound of a converter being sawed off. He’d get to work in the morning and receive one or two calls every day to replace stolen catalytic converters.

When officers from the neighborhood police station stopped by to ask Isaiah if he could help with an anti-theft plan, he didn’t hesitate. 

The police department and Supervisor Joel Engardio wanted to launch a pilot program to etch license numbers and spray paint the SFPD logo on catalytic converters. They focused on the Sunset because it was the part of San Francisco with the most catalytic converter thefts. The aim was to make the converters easier to track when stolen and less desirable to steal in the first place. 

Isaiah agreed to etch converters for free. More than 300 residents signed up in the initial program. 

There’s a reason why Isaiah has so many five-star ratings since opening his garage last November. He says the five-star ratings give him invaluable “bragging rights” and are the key to his early success.

His secret is simple: “No scare tactics to get people into bigger repairs than necessary,” Isaiah said. “I don’t like taking advantage of people. My Afghan culture teaches strict ethical principles, and lying and dishonesty are not among them.”

Isaiah is only 22, but he has racked up extensive automotive experience. He started working in his dad’s Brentwood garage beginning at age 13. By 15, he was doing brake jobs.

He first learned fundamentals like tire rotation and oil changes. Then came school to learn computer diagnostics. Isaiah also worked service jobs at local car dealerships.

How does a 22-year-old start his own business? And how is it going so far? 

“It’s not easy running a business, that’s for sure,” Isaiah says.

Finding experienced mechanics has been the biggest challenge, but he counts himself “blessed” that the previous owner’s mechanic agreed to stay on.

Another challenge has been getting high-quality parts. Isaiah only buys from suppliers in South San Francisco. But they don’t make frequent enough delivery trips to the Outer Sunset.

“Sometimes I have to drive down to pick up a part, and that’s an hour out of the day,” he says.

And then, of course, there's the fundamental challenge of doing good repair work to keep those five-star ratings coming in. Isaiah’s shop is equipped with electronics to read car computer codes. Some of the trickiest repairs, he says, involve sealed systems like power steering.

Whatever the repair, it must be done to Isaiah’s exacting standards, which takes time.

Another “huge, huge problem is rust,” Isaiah says, unique to the Sunset because of the moist, salty air. “It really changes the whole game. Rust can totally compromise the integrity of a car. Sometimes you have to cut rusted parts out, or use a blowtorch on rusted bolts. Rust can turn a one-hour job into a four-hour nightmare.”

On the positive side, Isaiah has found his customers “lovely people.” He also loves living in the Sunset, especially discovering the area’s many restaurants.

“There are a lot of great places here!” Isaiah says. “This whole area is overlooked.”

While Sunset Auto Care consumes most of his time and focus, Isaiah still manages to indulge a hobby of staying fit. He does early morning runs along the ocean and is an avid weightlifter. 

When Police Chief Bill Scott saw Isaiah’s biceps, he tried to recruit him to be a police officer.

But Isaiah says he wants to see how far his business can go before exploring new career opportunities: “I’d rather hustle now, and build a solid business first.”

Reported and written by volunteer community journalist Tom Colin. We encourage retired journalists and student journalists in high school and college to volunteer as writers for Supervisor Engardio’s newsletter. Interested? Apply here. Do you know a story you would like to see featured in the newsletter? Tell us about it here.