Hello from Greg Gear Head in the USA
Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 6:44 pm
Well, I got linked here from another forum I'm active in, and thought I'd try this one out. Looks like a nice place!
Anyway, I'm a lifetime VW/Porsche enthusiast. I bought a 1974 Beetle standard when I was 15 (and wrecked it on the way to school one day). When I started University, I bought a partially wrecked and disassembled 1983 Scirocco and put it together on weekends when I came home from school. After finishing it (lowered, cam, detrimmed, dechromed, Riken Mesh wheels, etc) I autocrossed (like Gymkhana) it and got hired at the local VW-Porsche shop, where I learned about Porsche and fell for them.
In 1998, I moved from Iowa to Colorado and worked for a large VW catalog company (Rocky Mountain Motorworks) for 5 years. During that time, I got to know the automotive aftermarket industry, made friends with some local vintage racers and spent occasional Saturdays working at a local Porsche shop to keep my hands dirty.
During this time, I was building a period hot-rod 1976 Golf (high compression, ported head, big bore, big cam, side draft Dellorto carbs) and selling some extra parts on the side to finance the project. Well, Motorworks went downhill, declared bankruptcy and eventually sold to a competitor. I took some time off, and started selling some more of my extra parts, and was surprised what I was getting, so kept buying more of them, and selling them. I built a number of water-cooled VWs, sold more, and got more into air-cooleds.
I changed jobs a few times, staying mostly in the corporate automotive world, always having some projects in the garage. I picked up a 1973 911T that needed a front pan replaced, but otherwise was really clean, if not styled how I liked. I still have it, and haven't finished it up, though it's super close. I'll be picking up a 1972 911T hot rod this fall, have a 1983 BMW 533i E28, a T3 1990 Vanagon daily/project as well as a few other cars here and there.
I got fed up with the corporate world (again) a few years back and tried to start a company with a friend, but that simply wasn't making any forward progress, so I sold my half to him and went out on my own. It allows me to flex my time for my wife and 5yo daughter (I walked her to and from school and had lunch with her every day last year) although it also means I work most evenings and weekends, but my new period car accessories are starting to sell ok, and I'm adding more all the time.
Meanwhile, I've always got used parts and come across stashes to sell - so I'll be on here doing that, and contributing in the rest of the forums as I'm able.
Here's a few pictures of my cars and projects over the years.
Anyway, I'm a lifetime VW/Porsche enthusiast. I bought a 1974 Beetle standard when I was 15 (and wrecked it on the way to school one day). When I started University, I bought a partially wrecked and disassembled 1983 Scirocco and put it together on weekends when I came home from school. After finishing it (lowered, cam, detrimmed, dechromed, Riken Mesh wheels, etc) I autocrossed (like Gymkhana) it and got hired at the local VW-Porsche shop, where I learned about Porsche and fell for them.
In 1998, I moved from Iowa to Colorado and worked for a large VW catalog company (Rocky Mountain Motorworks) for 5 years. During that time, I got to know the automotive aftermarket industry, made friends with some local vintage racers and spent occasional Saturdays working at a local Porsche shop to keep my hands dirty.
During this time, I was building a period hot-rod 1976 Golf (high compression, ported head, big bore, big cam, side draft Dellorto carbs) and selling some extra parts on the side to finance the project. Well, Motorworks went downhill, declared bankruptcy and eventually sold to a competitor. I took some time off, and started selling some more of my extra parts, and was surprised what I was getting, so kept buying more of them, and selling them. I built a number of water-cooled VWs, sold more, and got more into air-cooleds.
I changed jobs a few times, staying mostly in the corporate automotive world, always having some projects in the garage. I picked up a 1973 911T that needed a front pan replaced, but otherwise was really clean, if not styled how I liked. I still have it, and haven't finished it up, though it's super close. I'll be picking up a 1972 911T hot rod this fall, have a 1983 BMW 533i E28, a T3 1990 Vanagon daily/project as well as a few other cars here and there.
I got fed up with the corporate world (again) a few years back and tried to start a company with a friend, but that simply wasn't making any forward progress, so I sold my half to him and went out on my own. It allows me to flex my time for my wife and 5yo daughter (I walked her to and from school and had lunch with her every day last year) although it also means I work most evenings and weekends, but my new period car accessories are starting to sell ok, and I'm adding more all the time.
Meanwhile, I've always got used parts and come across stashes to sell - so I'll be on here doing that, and contributing in the rest of the forums as I'm able.
Here's a few pictures of my cars and projects over the years.
