That's quite a list of different places, many of which I am familiar with,
like Mr. Stitch Upholstery who I've used and highly recommend for interior work, even if not a Mercedes specific firm it belongs there as a resource because he does excellent work and has lots of experience working on Mercedes interiors.
The MB Garage lost the owner, Larry Thomas in May 2006. Unfortunately the new management has set pricing that is the same as a dealer in many instances as well as laid off two employees. It saddens me to see the change from what it was (a inexpensive, efficient place)
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I pass by Nick's ******** in SF occasionally and he's always busy with lots of what appears older MB's also especially since the dealership just around the corner refuses to work on them
All Mercedes in Oakland has changed hands (again). I used to go there for parts but they stopped recycling wrecked cars after the environmental laws killed that business in metro areas. They used to have lots of older parts, well inventoried and clean and a fine service dept. too. I understand the original owner, a German mechanic, is back (well maybe he never left, he worked for the owner who was shipping most of the stuff to China) so its should be an even better place now. It was my favorite place but a bit out of the way for me.
Silver Star in Sacramento is a junk yard and buys wrecked MB's but not in the Bay Area per-se making it too far for a short drive. I have a little warning about their practice of charging a $50 fee to pull a part. That's what they wanted to yank a 240D air/oil separator. A new one is around that price so you can figure where I got mine! I see them on eBay a lot and recommend anyone buying anything from them to go there and see what they are selling before buying it ie. no eBay!
SunValley is a wrecking yard in So. Calif. and I have driven down there to get a differential on one occasion and something else on another and I feel its worth the drive. They don't allow people into the yard to pick parts and that is a plus in my book. One ShopForum member bad mouthed them for that but it's their policy, hey they aren't a Pick-U-Part place! Fair prices and always provide a guarantee which can be rare in the used parts business.
Also, I highly suggest adding A&F Import Parts in Oakland for their excellent knowledge of and good inventory on MB parts tel 510-658-8175.
DDH