Torrance Area Auto Repair

Paul Dice - Service Manager

ASE Master technician / Ase certified consultant

Paul has been with Walt’s Auto Service for over 23 years and counting. Once when Paul was working on a truck at Walt’s, he saw bright little eyes peeking back at him inside a fender well; it was a little black kitten. When he fished it out of the fender and bathed it, he discovered that Yukon is, in fact, a white and orange kitty and is a happy family member of the Dice family. Paul’s favorite food is Sushi, and he believes that stock cars are the best modification because they can be fixed without breaking. He loves making customers’ days and enjoys surprising them by using the nicknames of customers’ cars when they come into the shop. Paul loves model railroading and is the current vice president of engineering in the Belmont Shore Model Railroad Club in San Pedro in the angel’s gate park. The BSMRC has been around for 50 years and is said to have the most extensive N-scale layout on the entire west coast. His favorite pastime is keeping these trains running, and we think that is so cool! Check out their website at https://belmontshorerr.com/ for more information.

Shawn Baker - Automotive Technician

ASE Master TEchnician

Shawn Baker loves working with the great team at Walt's Auto Service and enjoys putting a smile on his customers' faces when they come into the shop. Shawn started his career off in the Marine Corps as an Aviation mechanic. When he got out of the military, he attended Universal Tech in AZ, focusing on automotive repair. Shawn's favorite food is Thai curry, and he loves spending time in the great outdoors, hiking, snowboarding, and surfing. His favorite car modification is a built engine with turbos; however, his new favorite car is the Chevy Volt he drives, an Electric car that gets incredible fuel economy.

DANIEL GONZALEZ - Automotive Technician

Daniel Gonzalez loves working on customers' cars and thinks the best part of being a technician is the variety of work and learning new things every day. One day at work, he turned to see a co-worker chasing a rat out of the shop that must have come out of a customer's car; it was a hilarious sight! Daniel enjoys pizza and spicy wings, and outside of work, he enjoys tinkering on his own cars. Daniel's first job was restocking shelves at a store just around the corner from his house. His first car was a dark green 98 Maxima or Altima, but his favorite car is his very own 2000 Chevy Camaro - Pewter metallic, which he performed a motor swap on; his Camaro now sports an LS3 6.2l.

Hector Martinez - AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAn

ASE Certified technician

Hector Martinez loves working on cars here at Walt's, both because he loves the people and family-oriented work environment as well as tackling different projects every day. His passion is pulling engines apart and putting them back together, especially high-performance engines. Hector loves all Mexican food and especially loves tamales and pozoles, yum! When he is not at work, he can usually be found reading books, articles, and magazines on custom cars. Hector first fell in love with cars at the age of 18, loves the look of lowered trucks and SUVs, and is a true Chevy fan.

MARCY Kmieciak - ASSISTANT SALES AND SERVICE MANAGER

Marcy Kmieciak loves gardening and spending time with her family. Enjoying her mini-vegetable garden and her indoor plants are her passion. Pothos is her favorite houseplant of all. Marcy's favorite food is chips and salsa, and she especially loves spicy salsa. She uses her killer secret recipe at home; see if you can talk her into sharing it next time you see her at Walt's Auto Service! When Marcy goes out, her favorite restaurant in Torrance is La Capilla; they make fantastic salsa. If you haven't already, go check it out, it is to die for! Marcy's first job was hosting pony parties, where she would help take miniature horses to parties and walk the kiddos around. The looks and double-takes when other drivers looked into the van full of miniature horses were priceless! These days, when she wants to get her animal fix, she heads over to her dads to play with his horse, pig & chickens. Marcy loves all things customer service and helping people. Marcy loves talking with people, even if they are stuck in traffic somewhere. It is a highlight to relate to them when our customers call. The techs in the shop often will give her a hard time for not servicing her own car on a schedule. Marcy says the community at Walt's is outstanding, and it is a privilege to work with such an excellent team.