Pat's Garage was founded 24 years ago as a full-service repair shop that worked only on Hondas and Acuras, said Cadam, 61. 

 
"We decided to work solely on these two types of vehicles because of the customers who tend to drive them," he said.  "Honda and Acura owners are very practical and extremely engaged when it comes to maintaining their cars.  They're environmentally conscious and ergonomically sound people, and these are the types of clients we want here.  Then, we found out that most of our customers also owned Toyotas and Subarus, so we started repairing them as well."

After graduating from Cal Poly Pomona with a double major in renaissance history and political science, Cadam said he decided to become a Master Technician with the goal of eventually owning his own shop. 

"I've always loved cars and thought I could bring new technologies and approaches to the industry," he said.  "Then, in the late '90s, we started hearing about this new hybrid technology and immediately started learning everything we could about it."

In 1989, Cadam computerized Pat's Garage, back when most shops in the country were still using pens and paper, he said. 

"We had a special customized auto service software program written for us and we loaded it on an old Mac," he said.  "It allowed us to create invoices and produce work orders, and was a very simplified version of what's out there today."

In 1999, the Honda Insight came onto the market, and Pat's Garage began to work on them, Cadam said.  "We got excited about the Insight," he said.  "And then in 2000, we started working on the Toyota Prius.  Like most hybrids, we quickly discovered they don't require a lot.  Our main job at that time was educating our customers about them."

Accessing hybrid vehicle repair information and education became a major issue during that same time, Cadam said.  "We started scouring for any data we could find about these cars, especially for the Honda," he said.  "We found some Master Technicians who were teaching Honda classes, so we flew them out here from all over the country to teach our techs.  After the first two or three classes, we started inviting other shops to attend as well."

By going to classes taught by hybrid instructors such as Dan Marinucci, Edwin Alfaro, Jack Rosebro, and Craig Van Battenberg, Cadam said he and his technicians were able to learn the ins and outs of working on hybrids.

"As the hybrid technology grew, we did, too," he said.  "But all the education and information was coming from the private sector and not from the manufacturers."

In 2007, Cadam started a venture called Green Gears with Nick Rothman, 31, a former Toyota technician, he said.  Green Gears does Toyota Prius plug-in conversions, installing modules purchased from A123/Hymotion of Watertown, Mass. 

They're the only plug-in modules that are both crash-tested and approved by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), Cadam said.

The conversions cost $10,000 and can be completed in one day, if necessary, Cadam said.  "We're changing these Priuses into plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)," he said.  "It allows these cars to be more efficient and run more on electricity and less on gas.  They double the miles per gallon within a 30-to-40-mile range.  So, instead of getting 40-to-45 mpg, drivers will get 80-to-90 mpg after the module has been installed."

Pat's Garage/Green Gears operates out of a 6,500-square-foot facility with four lifts and 11 bays, Cadam said.  The shop employs five people--an office manager, a shop manager/service writer, two technicians, and a hybrid plug-in technician, he said.

As one of the first participants in San Francisco's "Clean & Green" pilot program, Pat's is extremely proud of its green track record, Cadam said.

"In 2005, we became the first automotive repair shop in the program, sponsored by the San Francisco Department of Public Health," he said.  "We recycle everything, including oil filters, parts boxes, and coolant.  We use efficient lighting, water-based chemicals, and you won't find a single spray can here.  We order all of our oil in bulk to save on plastic containers, and we have arrangements with all our parts vendors so that they only have to make one delivery a day."

Some of Pat's customers include San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, actor Rob Lowe, PG&E, and Google, Cadam said.  A lot of his clients are women, he said.  Because of this, Cadam said he began offering car classes for women at his shop a few years back.

"The women's classes have been very popular," he said.  "Women are a huge part of our business, and they're very loyal.  We empower them by helping them to be more informed.  It's an all-day class that is either free or at a small cost.  The money we make on the classes is donated to a women's charity."

Pat's also hosted an eco-driving class earlier this year, Cadam said.  "Our customers often ask us about what they can do to get more mileage," he said.  "We tell them they need to change the way they drive.  We show them a lot of different techniques that can save them money and create less pollution.

"The first half of the class consists of common sense applications, and for the second half we actually take them out in their cars and show them how to use those techniques," he said.  "We will be offering these classes next year because they've been so well-received."