Precision Motion Moves to Colton, Continues Tradition of Porsche Service

After 45 years of providing service to Porsche owners in the Inland Empire and beyond from its Riverside location, Precision Motion has moved to Colton. The shop now sits conveniently just off the I-215 freeway in a central location for the shop’s regular customers hailing from Colton, Grand Terrace, Redlands and San Bernardino. Opened in 1968 by Karl “Big Don” Kravig—a well-known racer at the Riverside International Raceway and the Ontario Motor Speedway in the racing heyday, according to his son, Don— the family-owned and -operated business has made a name for itself in Porsche service and repair with a reputation well known in its local sphere of influence and from afar: the business also sees customers coming in from Los Angeles and Orange counties. The shop is one of the oldest independent shops in both the state and the nation. Current owner Don Kravig now operates Precision Motion alongside his sons, Nikolas and Kris, who have continued the family tradition for Porsche racing and service. “My dad [Big Don] started teaching me to drive racecars at 15 years old. By 16 I was racing fulltime and I started fixing and building racing engines and transmissions. It’s in my blood. My sons were racing at 17, too.” Porsche owners—the most famous the shop has seen are rap music mogul Snoop Dog and actor Steve McQueen—come from throughout Southern California to receive the services Precision Motion provides, and that’s “anything you can do on a Porsche, except body and paint,” said Kravig. The shop builds cars for private collections, builds cars for private owners, restores Porsches for museums and private customers, and also does customizations, he noted. At the moment, the shop is working on restoring a 1955 Speedster, Kravig said. The shop also sees longtime customers who continue to come back over the years, and that’s the result of something Kravig says his father placed great importance on: customer service. “One of the things my father taught me and that I taught my sons was that when we begin to take care of someone’s car, it’s important to take an interest in them, in their lives, and in their car. Develop an interest. We have clients that have come to us for 35 years, because we try to make that ownership experience almost like a partnership experience,” he said. Precision Motion is also preparing to open its doors in the Colton area with a bang, with a grand opening celebration coming up next month. Community members will have a chance to see the mural painted on the inside wall, painted by a descendent of famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso most notable for his work in cubism, said Kravig. The mural is a representation of a 1982 Porsche Lai Le Mans, one of the most famous and recognizable racecars in history. “People come from all over just to get their picture taken with that mural,” said Kravig. Kravig hopes that with the shop’s new Colton location, a continued love of racing can be shared with the area. “I love the whole tradition of this area, with Route 66 and the 395,” he said. “This really is the mother country for racing, and I hope we can continue that.” Precision Motion’s grand opening event will be held Saturday, Sept. 14 at the new location, 2281 La Crosse Ave. Suite 508 in Colton. The event will feature Argentinean BBQ, live bands, door prizes and other giveaways.