One year ago, an online friend and her partner bought a car repair shop and reopened it as MotoResto, specializing in vintage and antique cars. If you need a computer to fix it, they won’t touch it. Business has boomed since then. They recently took a customer’s pristine 1967 Alfa Romeo 4R Zagato to the Concours d’Elegance in Greenwich, Connecticut, where they won a red ribbon award. They know their stuff.
Today they threw a one-year anniversary party for the shop. I’d already been pondering a day trip to Portland, Maine to check it out and meet them in person. When Amy invited me for the shindig she was throwing that same evening, it turned into a weekend visit. I’d hoped to take the bike to Portland, but heavy rain all day drowned out that idea, so I disconnected the trailer and drove the van instead.
Yes, when describing the shop I did say “a friend and her partner.” Krystal and Andrew went in on this together, but Krystal handles much of the business end of the operation. She was beaming with pride as people showed up and she introduced herself, “Hi, I’m Krystal, I own the place.” She was recently a guest on the Her Two Hands podcast, talking with Bogi about her move from hairdressing to classic cars.
She’s no slouch with a wrench, either. Several times she’s completely dismantled and reassembled her Ducati, named Igor (pronounced EYE-gor, like Marty Feldman’s character in Young Frankenstein). Her latest personal project is a Lancia she literally pulled out of a barn. The floorboards were rusted away, so she cut them all out and is relocating the engine from the front to the back to turn it into a mid-engine sports car. You know, as you do.
Sadly, the car show was rained out, although a few people still brought their custom cars anyway. Volvos, in particular, showed up, because they’re tough and can handle any weather. I particularly liked this build in progress of another Volvo wagon V8 conversion. Volvo never designed it to have a V8, but it fits so well you’d think they did.
I also loved this Datsun Z resto-mod. The engine just came in, an RB25 from a Skyline, to give this Z a bit more pep. I also love the look of it, the mixture of black and gold that screams 1970s, but with tasteful modern touches like bigger wheels and decent lighting.
There were many other cars to drool over as well. A Triumph TR7 was halfway through a Honda engine swap. A 1967 MG just came in that needs six figures worth of work to make it shine again, but the owner bought it new and is basically giving them a blank check out make it happen. And then there’s the AC Aceca, one of 150 ever made.
I spent a couple of hours hanging out, chatting, and drooling next to the cars (not on them). I ran a couple of errands on the way back, since I was already out in the van without the trailer anyway. While backing into where I was previously parked, it was so wet that I got stuck. I even put the van into “Slippery” mode to prevent wheel spin as much as possible. As soon as I realized I wasn’t moving, I shut things down and decided this is where I’m spending the night. I don’t need to drive again until Monday, and the rain is supposed to stop overnight, so I can let it dry out for several hours before trying to move again. That, alone, might let me get out under my own power. If not, I’ll have help. In the meantime, I’m going to go inside, enjoy Amy’s party, and deal with it tomorrow when it’s dry.
Smokey Da Van 