Any recommendations for a good independent Jaguar repair shop in SF? More specifically, anyone know John's Jaguar Service on Cesar Chavez which is blocks away from me?

 

I used to use John's when he was in the tenderloin 15 years or so ago. He's a good guy, they definitely know jags

 

Doesn't sound to me like anything is out of line here? If they correct your pronunciation then they probably are more into the make than most also regarding the aluminum pipes as a replacement - are you sure they are that superior? There have documented fitment issues at least with some of them, and they still use rubber o-rings which won't last forever. I like the idea that the aluminum pipes shouldn't fail spectacularly like the early plastic pipes (i.e. split), but the updated pipes have a much better reputation. End of the day, it is quite common for shops to refuse to install aftermarket parts on critical systems as they could be exposed if there is a failure - imagine they install a defective aluminum pipe where the o-rings don't seat properly. The customer will return to them citing they did a poor installation. Now imagine that customer overheated the engine and returned with a cooked motor. Oem plastic pipes fit every time.