Here’s the second in our series of profiles about the people at Classic Auto Air. Our team members have a variety of backgrounds and interests, but have one thing in common: they’re passionate about classic cars and think it’s the greatest thing in the world to be able to get paid for doing something they love.
How long have you been with CAA?
I’ve been here two years.
What do you like best about working at CAA?
I’m able to talk about cars all day and talk with customers about their rides.
What was your first “classic” or your first car?
My first car was a 1974 SD4 Trans Am. It was Buccaneer Red with white interior and I bought it when I was 17 years old. At that time I paid $12,000 for it. The car’s worth probably five times that now, but hindsight’s 20/20.
What do you like best about your customer classics?
What’s really cool is that they’ve got different stories and a lot of them have different characters or personalities to them. It’s really neat to hear the stories from the customers about how they got their cars or what they’ve done to them.
What is the one maintenance or repair job you dread most?
Electrical, because I’m impatient. It takes detail and patience. I’ve got the detail to some extent but I’m very impatient.
Do you currently own a classic?
I have a few hot rods. I have a 1957 Bel Air. I’ve got two ’69 GTOs and a 1969 Firebird.
Fill in the blank: Someday I would like to own a ……..
Someday I’d like to own a ’69 Trans Am because it’s very rare and I’ve always wanted one. They made about 714 Trans Ams in 1969. It would cost $200-275,000 to purchase one.
What personal hobbies or interests might be of interest to our readers?
My hobbies include buying, selling, swapping and restoring old cars — muscle cars, fat fenders, and pro streets. I also enjoy spending time with my family and watching my 15-year-old son play football and wrestle. He’s had many accomplishments in both sports, including winning the State Division IV heavyweight championship last year.
What are some other fun facts customers might like to know about you?
I’ve been in the automotive business since I was 17 years old. I’ve owned a bunch of hot rods — Fords, Chevies, GMs, Mopars — and I’ve been doing swap meets for about 25 years.
I also own my own paint and body restoration shop. That’s what I do on the weekends and when I’m not here. I just buy them and sell them and flip them. A lot of people ask me why I don’t hold on to my hot rods and my reply is, “I ain’t married to none of ‘em but one of ‘em and she’s 4′ 11″.”
Some of them need restoration, some of them are done. Some I tore apart to paint different colors. It just depends on what kind of mood I’m in and if someone offers me enough money for them. I do have customers’ cars that I work on once in a while.
I’ve probably owned 40 cars in the last year and a half or so. My wife says I’m like a crack addict when it comes to cars. I have a very bad addiction. My kid’s friends ask me all the time why I have so many cars. I say, “Some things can’t be helped.”
Tags: Meet the CAA Team
Posted in: News and Awards
