Has Economy Affected Hotrodders?

We're seeing that while the down turn in the economy has affected some enthusiasts who have been saving up to do a restoration or upgrade to their classic car or hot rod, many are going ahead with their dream plans. We're seeing that the true enthusiast has included their project in their list of essential priorities.

Even if finances are tight, there are many ways you can proceed with your dream project without risking financial ruin. Motorheads Performance will be offering suggestions in upcoming articles which will help save you money on your project.

The Coaching Experience Catches On

Motorheads launched our "Coaching Experience" program over a year and a half ago, and it's been a very rewarding experience to all those involved. Not only have we had the owners participate in their vehicle's restoration or upgrade, but to date we've had the pleasure of uniting four father-and-son teams together in Coaching Experiences. Not only has it been a pleasure for them, but it makes us happy to bring along another generation of hot-rodders!

We listened when our customers asked to learn about their ride. We realize that sometimes you just need an extra hand, or guidance when you're trying something for the first time. Or, if you're facing the daunting task of a full restoration project, you often don't have the proper tools, time or knowledge to do the entire job yourself. Motorheads likes sharing our passion and knowledge with others, so coming up with the Coaching Experience program seemed like a natural fit.

How does it work?

At Motorheads we'll do the work for you, or we'll coach you and help you install your own upgrades, repairs or restorations! Whether you need just a bit of help, a second pair of hands, or this is your first attempt on a hot rod project, we'll help with the proper tools and guidance to get the job done right! Guy is a great instructor, with lots of patience, and a real knack for demonstrating or explaining what needs to be done and why.

Motorheads provides quality instruction and supervision at reasonable rates. You pay a small fee for the half-day or full-day rental of the garage bay. Then, you pay our hourly coaching fee for the time we spend setting you up and giving verbal and hands-on instruction. For items you can do yourself, we check in on your progress. If you need a second set of hands, need or want the extra help, we'll work on your project together.

The benefits are great. You'll have the opportunity to learn about your vehicle because you're doing the work! Repairs are easier, diagnosing future problems will be easier, and the satisfaction of doing the job can't be beat.

Coaching is given by appointment only, and is usually scheduled on the weekend. Because we're open Wednesday through Sunday from 8am to 6 pm, most people find our hours ideal.

Warning: You Get What You Pay For!

I know we've all heard this old saying time after time, but darned if it isn't true! Once again, we see first hand of a person "just trying to save a buck" who took a short-cut that they probably shouldn't have.

We recently had a customer who we had done some performance upgrades for in the past. Not wanting to pay what he thought was an unjust amount of money for a professional paint job, he took his prized ride to "a local guy" (you know the type...a friend of a friend of a friend...who could "do the job cheap"). Well, the ghost flames he wanted for his ride didn't turn out quite right. In fact, they were horrible. Not only were they "off the shelf" flames, you could see where the paint was applied right over the stencils! This left unsightly ridges which provided something far from "ghost". The owner has brought the vehicle back several times, but I guess the shop just doesn't know how to make it right. After sinking a pretty penny into this "cheap" paint job, there's no money left to take it to someone who knows how to achieve a decent ghost effect.

We hear these horror stories all the time. We know it's not cheap to restore a vehicle, or to have a quality paint put on your ride...we've had to paint our vehicles too! It doesn't necessarily mean you have to spend an outrageous fortune on it either. There are some shops out there who still provide quality work at reasonable prices. Do your homework carefully and be wary of shops that sound too cheap, who can't tell you what brands of paint or primer they use, who don't use a spray booth, who don't strip down your car properly, or who rely solely on plastic fillers.

Remember, a paint job gone bad will end up costing you much more in time and money than a quality paint job done right the first time. And, you'll be a lot happier with the job done right!