Offical Statement From Vintage Motorcars (California)

Outstanding! Almost makes me want to move back to SoCal! 

I'm very glad that we will continue to have a California source for parts and service. 

Good all the way around for our community!

Who wants to set up a shop in the Florida Panhandle? I am truly jealous of you guys in LA/OC. 

However, also glad that this is happening for the hobby overall.

Good Luck Greg and company.

This is awesome; periodic gathering, coupe/speedster/spyder cars and coffee. Can not wait.

VSpyder posted:

Hello SOC!

 The cat is out of the bag and the rumors are true…

Business at Vintage Motorcars has been really good and with the recent sale of Vintage Speedsters, we have an opportunity to come back to a shop we are very familiar with and a place where I started my love of this industry. Most of you know my history and passion in this industry; it all started in Hawaiian Gardens.

 We have leased the old Vintage Speedster facility at 12112 Centralia Rd, Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716 Our phone number and email address will remain the same. Prior to moving in, we are planning to re-pave the outside, update the interior show room, and clean up the workspace so that it is inviting and welcoming to new and old customers and families and friends. We plan to have a FULL SERVICE facility (tune-ups, oil changes, body work, paint, etc.). We will also have a FULL line of Spyder parts, Speedster parts, and Coupe parts available. Yes – it says SPEEDSTER parts! Please check out our new website. It will have all the parts you need – parts are being added daily.

 Another rumor that is true – we have designed, built, and will offer a Speedster body hand built and perfectly aligned in house. The body has updated front and rear deck lid hinges. It also has newly designed door latches. We are also in the beginning stages of building a custom tube chassis for the Speedster. The quality and strength will be the same as the Spyder chassis and new chassis is a beauty!

 We will be adding the old crew from Vintage Speedsters. This is a small industry and I have worked with them over many years. They are just as passionate about this industry as I am. For that reason alone, we are working hard to bring them onboard. Once they get started, we will be training them on the Vintage Motorcars way of building where the focus is on QUALITY and attention to detail.

One big thing that we will be offering is Speedster and Spyder rentals, what better way to make sure you are making the right purchase! We will be adding details on our new website soon.

This is a big move for us, so please be patient has we get everything up and running at the new shop. We will also be scheduling an Open House. We hope EVERYONE comes to visit in his or her Spyder, Speedster, and/ or Coupe. We would also love for this spot to be a routine monthly/quarterly/ yearly meet-up for all the enthusiasts in this industry.There is a LOT more to share, but I hope this post helps explain a few things. Please use this thread to ask as many questions as you would like. We will respond as quickly as possible.

 Greg Leach

Vintage Motorcars

www.Vintagemotorcarsinc.com

I'm sure you guys caught this paragraph...

THIS is why I will continue to give Greg and his Team my business and help drive business to his shop.

I mentioned before how helpful the guys were during my build. They are truly passionate about the work they do and have done for 20+ years. Good on you Greg for making an effort in getting them back in the industry and more importantly - back to work. I am sure they have families to take care of.

I wish you the best - you have a customer for life!

Very cool! 

Congrats and all the best in this new chapter. 

Greg, why the move to Hawaiian Gardens, CA from Stanton, CA?

Michael B (aka bluespeedster SoCal) posted:

Greg, why the move to Hawaiian Gardens, CA from Stanton, CA?

Reading between the lines, I’d say because there’s a fully set up facility and experienced workforce, capable of producing speedsters in large volume available for the taking.

The new owner of Vintage Speedsters thought that could be replicated in Scottsdale, and Greg wisely picked up the very valuable jewels left laying on the ground in SoCal.

I think it’s genius. 

Location. Location. Location.

There is definitely an experienced workforce, but I'm not so sure there's a "fully set up facility" left in Hawaiian Gardens.   It was my understanding that all of Kirk's equipment has been moved to Scottsdale. 

Not knowing anything up here I think Stan may have hit the nail on the head

I would assume that Greg has an array of equipment to take to Hawaiian Gardens. This isn't a start up, but a relocation, after all.

IaM-Ray posted:

Not knowing anything up here I think Stan may have hit the nail on the head

^This. I would also add that almost everyone knows that address as the place to go for Speedster replicas in SoCal. The foot traffic alone will generate new business...

I would also guess, based on visiting both places, the Hawaiian Gardens shop has a lot more square footage of work space. The last few times I have been to Vintage Motorcars his shop was PACKED! The extra space will help.

Oh and the guy who does all the tops, covers, and side curtains for our Speedsters... he is next door, right? FTW! ! ! ! !

Weird Hawaiian Gardens  true story..... Back in the sixties my older brother worked for the water department of the city or county that serviced HG. One of his responsibilities was to remove the in-ground meters of people who were seriously delinquent on their water bills. Not a fun job.

Anyway, the most difficult situation he was ever in was one day when he was digging up a meter and the customer ran at him from the house screaming and had her  30 pound pet monkey attack my brother while he was working on it.

My brother had a big shovel.

After several minutes the customer, unfortunately, had a dead monkey and my brother had some deep scratch marks and a few bites on his arms and head.

She sued.

The water company won.

My brother still won't watch National Geographic specials about monkeys or go to the zoo.

I hope my ride lasts forever, but in the event it doesn't, its replacement is that much more exciting. Looking forward to seeing you at SLO.

@Stan Galat  has a perfect swing with the Hammer......

That is great news Greg. I'll have to start saving my money for a tube chassis based Speedster. I know a guy who can build a motor for me. LOL

Best of luck in the recently expanded world of Vintage Motorcars.

@VSpyder

I somewhat thought it might be space and workforce; met Greg at his shop but never went inside. Knowing Kirk's place very well during my frequent visits building my VS, the floor space is huge even with the small room next door that Kirk kept some finished cars. Greg's Stanton place must have been very small. Plus, not sure if the single lift that Kirk has was left behind. Oh well, just a tad further for me to drive on the OC freeway from Stanton to HG. Excited to see the new shop Greg.

Thank you everyone for the kind words!!

The shop was pretty much emptied out with the exception of a few things left behind. I have a ton of equipment at my current location in Stanton that I will be moving over.

Greg

Good luck with the move, Greg.

Congratulations Greg!  I'll be happy to advertise for you here in FL with the new Vintage Motorcars Coupe.  Brian does a great job for you in CA. Look forward to the progress pics next week.  

For the Gang... Greg is the progress of building my basic coupe rolling chasis and I'll be posting my build thread soon. 

Panhandle bob.....Funny story !!!! That lady must have been from a song that went something like "I got me a woman and a fine woman at that. She lives with a monkey and a Chinese acrobat.

On another note. My wife was attacked by an Orangutan in Borneo a few (or more) years back When I tried to pull it off, it got worse because they basically have 4 hands and strong as hell. It was like fighting with two people. I grabbed it's hand to pull it off my wife's arm and went to pull my hand off so I used my other hand to pull it's second hand off. It then used his foot to pull my second hand off while it used it's second leg to grab my leg near my crotch for stability. I guess it's similar to trying to get a giant octopus off. Believe me they are STRONG !! About this time a Park Guide got it of of us.  I lost a shirt sleeve and my wife lost a pocket and some buttons on her shirt. A fortunate ending !

I am told that Orangutans and chimps go in to bite genitiles, faces and hands. Your brother is lucky he had a shovel !...........Bruce

Congrats Greg.  You've really come full circle.  First met you in Hawaiian Gardens in the late 90s in that tiny shop connected to Vintage Speedsters.  Glad to see you back where you started.  And glad to hear that those VS employees have a great new boss.  Obviously the biggest assets aren't the molds or the lifts or the tools.  Its obviously the people.  The builders and the fabricators.  And the customers who for a large part reside in the LA area.  And big kudos to you for understanding that.  

I may be your only customers who had a car built in all 3 of your past facilities.  Hope to have another Hawaiian Gardens car some day.

Panhandle Bob posted:

Weird Hawaiian Gardens  true story..... Back in the sixties my older brother worked for the water department of the city or county that serviced HG. One of his responsibilities was to remove the in-ground meters of people who were seriously delinquent on their water bills. Not a fun job.

Anyway, the most difficult situation he was ever in was one day when he was digging up a meter and the customer ran at him from the house screaming and had her  30 pound pet monkey attack my brother while he was working on it.

My brother had a big shovel.

After several minutes the customer, unfortunately, had a dead monkey and my brother had some deep scratch marks and a few bites on his arms and head.

She sued.

The water company won.

My brother still won't watch National Geographic specials about monkeys or go to the zoo.

 

These days, there would at least be a funny video

OUTSTANDING news!  One of the reasons we bought our VS was the community of people like this.

I have already made a few purchases from Vintage Motorcars and I can’t say enough about the excellent customer service!

Cool beans. 

Pete

So I am clearly out of touch, but this seems like great news, having bought a VS Outlaw just spring of last year.  So can anyone tell me what happened to Kirk - Just wondering?  I read some mention of moving to Scottsdale?  Did he set up a new shop out there?

Verbieten posted:

So I am clearly out of touch, but this seems like great news, having bought a VS Outlaw just spring of last year.  So can anyone tell me what happened to Kirk - Just wondering?  I read some mention of moving to Scottsdale?  Did he set up a new shop out there?

Kirk retired. The new owner bought the business and moved it to Scottsdale. Greg hired Kirk’s employees and moved his operation to Kirk’s old place in Hawaiian Gardens and will now be selling Speedsters. 

Thanks for the update I appreciate it

Robert M posted:

Verbieten posted:

So I am clearly out of touch, but this seems like great news, having bought a VS Outlaw just spring of last year.  So can anyone tell me what happened to Kirk - Just wondering?  I read some mention of moving to Scottsdale?  Did he set up a new shop out there?

Kirk retired. The new owner bought the business and moved it to Scottsdale. Greg hired Kirk’s employees and moved his operation to Kirk’s old place in Hawaiian Gardens and will now be selling Speedsters. 

I would also add that he will have a full selection of parts for Speedsters, Coupes, and Spyders.... plus a full service shop...

Are the wheels for wide body still being done via the same shop? 

As I said over on FB, CLASS move to hire Kirk's team. Especially after they were promised the business wouldn't be moved(totally NOT cool move, new owner!).

My first car came from HG, and current car is from Stanton. I'll be visiting the new/old shop this year.

I'm REALLY hoping that we'll be seeing a presence at Carlisle this year. Just bring yourself, my car and Phil's can represent!

Best wishes to Greg and the Vintage Motorcars team.

Great news! 

Kirk used to have a fairly good stockpile of dirty but rust free VW pans stacked up against a fence in the back. Maybe they were taken to AZ.  If they were left behind I wonder if they will be used up before the tube chassis is ready or will all the new cars will be built on tube chassis from now forward. I assume this new chassis will address the slight wheel centering issue in the front wheel opening.

I hope Greg is planning to build both pan and tube frame cars.  Pan based cars allow them to be registered as Volkswagens and resale as a Volkswagen is much simpler in most states than cars that are titled as Special Construction.

California is starting to inspect the VW registration for these cars just FYI 

calmotion posted:

California is starting to inspect the VW registration for these cars just FYI 

 

 

Id be interested to learn more about this statement.  Can you elaborate? How would the California DMV even start with such an investigation?