In this episode of Auto Pros On The Road, Joe Keene and Jacqui Van Ham continue their visit to Quarter Mile Muscle in Mooresville, NC.
In Part Two, sponsored by Fram, shop owner Bryan Klitz, explains that he started working on classic cars in MIchigan with his father and grandfather – but explains they weren’t classics at the time, merely daily drivers.
His path led him to the construction trades in Montana and Colorado, and he began collecting the now-vintage vehicles of his youth. He says he found few shops that were capable of upgrading the cars to his expectations or able to complete the jobs without scratching or otherwise damaging his prizes.
“I decided when I got into this that I would treat these cars like they were my cars,” Klitz says. “We’re very careful; we use the best car covers and fender covers; all my guys are neat and clean, even when they’re pulling engines. It’s all about treating the cars like they should be treated.”
Klitz moved from Michigan 12 years ago and he says things snowballed from there. He says he didn’t believe he would need the space in a former NASCAR race team shop but quickly filled the shop and continues to operate with a waiting list of requests for full one-off custom vehicles to restomods to original-quality numbers-matching restorations.
During the visit, Keene and Van Ham speak about the shop’s capabilities with other Quarter Mile employees.
• Mark Van Vlack, shop manager, shares his diverse his history that includes military and motorsports experience.
• Ella Ullasa, technician, discusses her role of being part of a diverse team and chasing the challenges presented by classic vehicles.
• Gaird Zander, a former trainer and education coordinator, explains how understanding today’s vehicle systems helps him breathe new life into yesterday’s trophies.
Auto Pros On the Road is an original video series that will showcase stories of automotive aftermarket service professionals. Throughout the series, viewers will follow the Auto Pros into repair shops as they speak with shop owners and technicians about their challenges, their stories and their values. This series is brought to you by ShopOwner, in collaboration with our sister brand TechShop – Equipment, Tools & Supplies.
New episodes will be available monthly.
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