I met Chris Vallone several times at local car shows. Chris runs the Classic VW Bug Shop in Congers, NY with his dad. Chris always made an entrance at the shows usually arriving with several stunning classic Beetles as examples of his work. Being consistently impressed, I decided to pay a visit to his shop.

Chris and his father, Chris Vallone Sr. started the business about 14 years ago. They specialize only in classic Beetle restoration. Most are built/restored to order through the “Build a Bug program”. (see their website for more details - http://www.classicvwbugs.com/build-a-bug/what-is-build-a-bug/) Others are purchased, cleaned up, and resold.

Their success is due to a combination of passion for their work, their craftsmanship, and Chris Jr.’s film/media skills.

Chris has two passions, film-making and restoring classic Beetles. He is largely self-taught in both areas. Chris never studied film-making formally. He learned his craft by studying it on his own through the internet. While not widely known in the film industry, Chris has achieved some success and has produced at least 10 films.

Building great Beetles is only one of the necessary ingredients in a successful restoration business. You have to sell them too. Chris leverages his film-making skills to create videos of the Bugs he is selling.

About 14 years ago (circa 2003), Chris restored a Bug for himself with his father. Chris Sr. had experience working on cars from when he was young. Together they worked on the Bug and Chris Jr. learned a few things from his dad about cars along the way.

At some point after the Bug was completed, Chris needed cash for one of his films. He decided to sell his first Bug on eBay. Chris called on his film-making abilities to present the bug in the best light possible on both eBay and Youtube.

It sold right away.

Chris and his dad thought it was surprisingly easy to sell the bug on eBay. They decided to restore another one, use the same video approach to market the next Bug and see if it would sell just as easily.

It did… and a business was born!

Chris and his dad started the business out of their one car garage. They continued the recipe of meticulous Beetle restoration combined with successful video promotion and never looked back. Two years later they moved to their professional garage in Congers, NY. Now, 8 years later the expansion continues as they seek to hire their first mechanics.

If you’re into Beetles, follow others including the likes of Jerry Seinfeld (a customer) and give them a call. You won’t be disappointed.Here is their contact info:

22 Burts Rd. Congers NY 10920
p: 845.290.9900
e: chris@classicvwbugs.com

Whether you’re seeking a Bug or just into them, consider subscribing to their newsletter:

Classic VW Bugs Newsletter

You can also find Chris’s Youtube channel by clicking here.

I recently came across this sweet looking ’68 Chevy Bel Air on the website, www.ChevyHardCore.com.  As I mentioned in a recent blog post, I’m a function over form kind of guy. While this Bel Air is an example of both Form and Function, the Bel Air model is a basically down to earth, no-frills (or low-frills) model and this car is just that, a bare boned example of a car meant to go fast. With the exception of the 8 track player, most of the options are about acceleration only. If it doesn’t support that goal, it’s not needed.

Another thing I like about this car is that it’s roomy. I like big cars and I’ve owned several GM B-bodies over the years. This Bel Air is no exception. It’s a full width people mover with a truck that could carry a Prius.

It also has one of my favorite combinations, a bench seat and a manual transmission.

Click the link below to get the full story on this machine.

Bel Air Brawler: This B-Body Is A Dressed-Up Street Fighter

In recent years, my automotive taste has begun to take the road less travelled. I’ve also developed an interest in straight six cylinder engines, AMC’s, Late 50’s / Early 60’s Chrysler sedans, 60’s vans (my kids think “Ew - don’t be a creepy van guy, Dad”, but they don’t get it) and 4 doors.

Much of these are vehicles that I wouldn’t have looked at 20 years ago. I also still retain some mainstream interests. I love the ’64 to ’72 GM A-bodies. In fact, I’ve owned 4 of them.

Here is a car that really peaks my interests, a ’65 Chevelle 300 - 4 door with a 4 speed and a bench seat! As some of you may know, one of my daily drivers is a ’65 4 door Bel Air also with a bench seat and a 4-speed.

In fact, I converted it to a 4 speed and I have no intention of switching to bucket seats. The only thing that could make this Chevelle better for me is if it had a large (perhaps a 292?), slightly worked straight six in it.

Why do I like the More-Doors? Mostly because they are different. I also like the practicality. I’ve always been a function over form kind of guy. Much to my wife’s chagrin, it’s more important to me the way something works than the way it looks. Another perk of 4-doors is that it’s nice not to have to lean forward or step out of the car to let a passenger in or out of the back seat.

There is no doubt that a 2 door car has a great look to it. I think this is especially true for cars with curves. 4-door curvy cars just don’t look as right. For this reason, I think the 4-door A-bodies made between ’64 & ’67 look a little better then the later ones. However, it doesn’t matter much because once you’re behind the wheel, you can’t tell how many doors you have. The other nice thing about 4-doors is they’re cheaper than 2 doors. That matters, especially if you like to own more than one car. So if you like to have old cars and drive them, a 4-door is a good way to go.

So click the link below, check out the article on this bad ass little street fighter of a 4-door Chevelle and open your minds to more open doors. It may just bring more options to your next car search.

1965 Chevrolet Chevelle 300 L79 Looks Like a Taxicab But Runs Like a Beast

When I watched my first video from ThunderHead289 on Youtube,  it appeared to be your typical amateur video uploaded by a car enthusiast. Big deal right? After a few minutes, I began to get sucked in.

ThunderHead289 knows what he’s doing… way more than I do anyway! Watching his videos is like spending an afternoon working on a car with a more knowledgeable friend. A friend who’s not afraid to tackle that next automotive challenge. And yet, because it’s Youtube and not some reality automotive TV show where  things always work out, there is some suspense involved. Additionally, he covers these projects in multiple uploads so sometimes you have to wait and see how it turns out (because he is waiting to see how it turns out). With ThunderHead289, I find myself wondering, Will he get it running after all? What problems will he encounter next? Will we get to go play with it soon?

Notice, I say “we” because that’s what you do if you’ve been hanging around with your friend all afternoon working on his car. You go play with it when it’s running… together. After all, I feel like I was on the adventure with him and I’m entitled to play too. Lucky for us he shares some of the play time on Youtube as well.

Most importantly, I’ve learned a few things watching his videos. Additionally, I can return to those videos when I’m ready to tackle a similar project on my own car.

Here is the first of several uploads on one his many car projects. This one he calls the Rustang.

Click here for Rustang Part 1

The see the rest of the series go to his Youtube page:

The Rustang / Rotstang Debacle Video list

For all of ThunderHead289’s uploads click here to go to his Youtube channel.

… or visit this blog in the future because I will probably share more of his features with you down the road.

I’ve read a lot of car magazines over the past 4 decades. I’ve learned a tremendous amount from them. Every so often I read a technical article and I have a major Ah-Ha!! moment. Ignition timing and the various advance mechanisms is a topic that I’ve never understood at a deep level. Here is one of those rare great articles that helped me get it.

Super Chevy: Tune Your Vacuum Advance For Better Drivability by Jeff Smith

On a side note, I was reluctant to subscribe to Super Chevy because, even though I’m a Chevy guy at heart, I like a little variety. However, I’ve found some of the best tech articles in Super Chevy. It’s been a worthwhile subscription for me.

Hopefully this article will help you a much as it helped me.