April 2017 Issue of Driven World Magazine

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FROM THE EDITOR A

L E T T E R

B Y D U S T I N T R OYA N

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iming. It’s all in the timing. Some people are better under pressure and others are better planners. I suppose I am somewhere in the middle. I guess I can plan decently, but some of my friends, when they make plans, they really make plans.

When I was in my teens, I figured by the time I was thirty I would be a multimillionaire living in Malibu with a yacht off the coast and a helicopter. A stable of cars, I would have six-pac abs, fight like a ninja and speak a dozen languages. I would be aloof, have dated supermodels and actresses and jet set all over the world. Then, as I matured, I would become a recluse until I met the right woman and then all would be good in the world.

I would turn into a philanthropist, continue to make money, now in the billions and surf with my family all over the world while getting back rubs on my yacht, eating only organic food and doing yoga every day. Well, at forty-one, let’s just say that I am not James Bond.

Life loves to have its way with you, doesn’t it? I was watching a surf documentary last night and I heard a guy say that he was tired of chasing someone else’s dream so he quit his job and started chasing his own. That the time we have on Earth is so limited, don’t waste it, but chase your dream wherever it may take you. I think he is right.

I think about where my life has taken me so far, I think I am doing ok, clearly the best part of me is my family, but, I do hunger for more. It is not that anything is holding me back, I could make any plethora of excuses, but I just want more. The challenge is that I am not sure what. I want more, I want more.....

I am not so worried about the material stuff. I want more experiences for myself and my family.

I think about those pivotal moments in my life and I want to help to provide them for my girls, my wife and myself. Most of these moments revolved around other people and being outdoors. I love being outside. Even if it is a big parking lot on a Sunday morning.

I miss the exotic locations that I traveled as a young man. The South Pacific is heaven. The people, the culture. Central America, Spain. I traveled a little, not nearly enough. It has been far too long since I have been out of my comfort zone or on an adventure. I think comfort zones can be a problem.

Traveling really opened my eyes to the world. I realized how little I knew of far off places and people. I found so much love and compassion from people I met. I have always loved people, but the kindness and generosity blew me away. And the danger. That was always fun. Danger really makes you feel alive. Paddling out into some big waves out on a reef, oh the thrill. Talk about being alive.

Just this past weekend, we went camping at the beach with two other families with young children. It was beautiful. The kids running around, the laughter, the sun shining, the fresh sea air, we were making memories. I love making memories.

There is a little voice that keeps drawing me to adventure. It is getting to a point that I can no longer ignore it. I think my wife hears it too. We are longing for a true adventure with the kids. Before we had our first kid, I sold a car and bought a used travel trailer. I have since been building up everything I need to start doing trailer excursions. I need to button up our tow vehicle a bit, but I think that we really have to start heading into the middle of nowhere or to places we have never been with the kids. I am sad

to say, that there is so much of this great country that I have never seen. I want my family to see all that America offers and then the rest of the world.

To see and understand people. To have a perspective of what some have, some don’t have and how much people have achieved and achieved under the harshest of circumstance. They need to understand that. That regardless of situations, there are always those who achieve. That they never give up and that the human spirit is resilient. I think traveling does that.

Adventure. I am wondering when was the last time you went on an adventure or dreamed of a far off land or doing something that you have been putting off. I am guilty of it. Putting stuff off. I am not very spontaneous. That is a trait that I do not want to illustrate to my children. I need to become more spontaneous and give them the gift of adventure. Far off lands, far of people and beauty.

The kaleidoscope of life is all there for us, but we are so busy in our day to day life that I wonder if we are missing what is really important. How a painter paint or a chef cook does without knowing what colors or flavors are available to them. In a world gone digital, when was the last time we put our feet in the water or ripped our clothes of and ran full speed into the ocean. You watch kids do it all day long at the beach, but how many of us adults? When was the last time you hiked a trail not knowing where it would go or just left for a day or a weekend? Having no destination in site. Oh how I miss the feeling of sunburnt skin and waterlogged eyes. The taste of south pacific salt water, putting lemon juice on legs and feet that were scratched by the reef. Paddling hundreds of yards out to a surfbreak and sharing a Hinano Beer (Tahitian Beer) with a local after a surf session. I remember buying lunch in Panama in the middle of nowhere for under a dollar, including beer. Rice, beans, chicken and beer. The roosters bringing in the morning and the stars and the moon so bright telling you to go to bed. Drinking rain water collected in steel oil drums and sitting under a hut with a “witch” in the mangroves of the Caribbean, eating green banana porridge waiting for a storm to pass. Yes, I remember you, you old bruja.

You start to think about what shaped your life and then get to an age and I think that some of us get trapped in our day to day life and the list of adventures gets lost. How sad for us. Well, I think I need to make a change for me and my family. I think I need to start thinking like the great adventurers and start getting out more. Start seeing more, smelling more, tasting more and being afraid more and not so comfortable.

I guess spring is here and it has hit me hard. The future is what you create, your memories are what you create and if I were to die today, I would say I had a great life, but I needed more adventure. How about you? Where is your next adventure who will you meet, what will you see and do and most importantly, what will it do for your soul?

I can no longer stop the sirens from calling. Time to answer the call, are you in? And, when all is said and done and you are looking back, will you have done everything you wanted to, said all the things you wanted to, did you live your dreams? Maybe that surfer guy was right...life is too short to chase someone else’s dreams, to live in fear, to live short. I embrace the adventure, to a new day!

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CONTENTS

drivenworld ISSUE 84, MAR 2017

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dustin Troyan ART DIRECTOR James R. Stanley Jr. COPY EDITOR Heather Troyan DESIGN Connected Media Group

Page 8 SPOTLIGHT

Bear Trailersports Page 10 PRO PHOTO TIP

Night Photos Page 11 HISTORY

Of Kelly Blue Book Page 13 HOTROD JAY

EFI Generation II Page 15 SATURDAY SOCIALS

California Car Cover Co. Page 16 CRUISING

With Cynthia Page 18 REVOLUTION

De L’Automobile Page 20 CENTERFOLD

Porsche at Regan Library Page 22 SPOTLIGHT

Keith Goldberg Page 24 BAVARIAN

Meet Marc Page 28 CLASSIC Coyote Page 31 CAR CULTURE

Nice Wheels Page 35 SOTHEBY’S

When Should You Sell Page 35 HAPPY B-DAY

Enzo Ferrari

STORIES BY Dustin Troyan Mike Grudt Mark Llewellyn Gwen Banta Tory Herald Jay Santos James Stanley Mike Grudt David F. Buchanan Cynthia Hernandez Alex Dekadokh PHOTOGRAPHY Alex Dekadokh Greg Grudt Dustin Troyan James Stanley David Rosenthal Cynthia Hernandez David F. Buchanan

ADVERTISING / MARKETING dustin@connectedmediagroup.com (818) 516-5053

www.drivenworld.com

www.connectedmediagroup.com www.supercarsunday.com

Driven World Magazine is published twelve times per year by Connected Media Group LLC. It is distributed at upscale locations and events all over California. It is also available online and distributed electronically to highnet-worth individuals as well as members of the car community at large.

All rights reserved. Driven World and Supercar Sunday are registered trademarks of Connected Media Group LLC. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or any other materials or advertisements herein may be reproduced without permission of copyright owner. Driven World Magazine and Connected Media Group LLC, do not take responsibility for the claims provided herein.

Connected Media Group LLC, Driven World Magazine, and its affiliates, contributors, writers, editors, and publisher accept no responsibility for the errors or omissions with information and/or advertisements contained herein.

Connected Media Group LLC does not assume liability for any products or services advertised herein and assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers or editorial information.

On the Cover:

Bavarian Workshop BMW M3 on the track

Vic, tell us how did you get into the trailer business?

It wasn’t part of my career plan out of school, one thing lead to another then the opportunity to purchase Bear came up in 2004. I loved the creativity aspect of the business and I was no stranger to designing and fabrication so all fell into place.

Have you always been into motorsports?

Yes, started with racing carts to offshore powerboats to Off-road rock crawling. I’ve never watched sports growing up and still don’t, I’d rather be in the driver seat doing my own thing.

What did you do before buying

Bear Trailers?

I worked in corporate aviation for over a decade. Looking hindsight, that whole experience was great.

It opened up many doors with my company that would’ve never happened if it wasn’t for my time in aviation. We continuously have contracts with the military, fire departments, and other government agencies that all rooted from my past.

employees work with passion and understand we aren’t just a trailer company, they take pride in their work. It’s important that everyone is on the same page, quality first, no short cuts, under promise and over deliver.

A successful business, what are your thoughts on having a successful business?

You are known all over the West Coast for designing and manufacturing the best trailers…. tell us about your business ethos.

We immerse ourselves in the trailer industry. I like to continuously evolve and take on projects that challenge the whole company. My 8

Discipline would be at the top of my list. Love what you do and have that drive to be the best. Know what you’re good at and try not to wear too many hats. I’m fortunate to have a great team and working in harmony is beautiful thing. To be honest, running a well-oiled company isn’t very difficult when you’re having fun, kind of comes naturally.

How does Bear Trailers stay at the forefront of trailer design?

We are constantly looking to improve our trailers and never stay stagnant. My team and I have meetings once a month discussing new ideas, new products and how to improve our current builds. Our clients bring many great ideas to the table which all are considered and allows us to broaden our creativity.

We also attend many trade shows for new products, new manufacturing trends and safety classes to keep us in the forefront.

Is a trailer just a trailer? What do trailers mean to you and your clients?

Definitely not. Anyone who’s broken down on the side of a

highway knows this. Anyone who had to replace a trailer prematurely knows this. Our clients are looking for quality, a piece of mind and good customer service. For many, a trailer is just a trailer, not for my company and not for our customers.

Trailers have really evolved over the years, tell us about some of the most innovative trailers you have designed…

That’s a tough one, there’s been so many awesome projects we’ve worked on. We have been very fortunate to design and build trailers for the Military, Fire/ Police dept., aerospace, border patrol, forest services, along with high end recreational trailers just to name a few.

What other services do you provide at Bear Trailers?

the cargo comfortably without overworking the axles. Good quality wiring, LED lights and sufficient brakes are also important items to consider.

There’s been countless projects we’ve worked on that has nothing to do with trailers. We have a full fabrication shop that allows us to venture off in other areas. Our core business is custom trailer manufacturing but also offer trailer services, repairs, modifications, restorations, and trailer hitches.

What is the future of Bear Trailersports?

We are looking into expanding to Colorado and Florida. There are some opportunities we are considering for licensing our trailers abroad. Also, if we find the right strategic partners, I would love to franchise the company as there are 20 million trailers in the country and no trailer specialty franchise.

If someone was going to buy a trailer…what suggestions would you make?

Don’t only look at price. There’s a reason why some trailers are so cheap. Look for the main components first.. a strong wellbuilt frame, good American made axles, and a GVWR that covers

Tell us how you maintain such a strong reputation in the industry?

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Never losing focus of the importance of quality, great customer service and staying innovative. I always stress to my employees that we give the same attention and quality to everyone across the board.

As a business owner, what would you tell a young person who wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Don’t over think it, Don’t expect everything to go smooth, be excited about what you do.

Parting thought, if you could leave our readers with one thought, what would you want to share with us?

Life is short, have fun! www.beartrailersports.com

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ight shots of vehicles can be a bit tricky, but hopefully, these few steps can get you going on the right track. Without the use of a flash, automotive night photography can be fun and really get the imagination

going with light painting, but we’ll save that for a future article. For this style photo, all that’s needed is your DSLR camera, tripod, flashlight and one extra person to help out.

Park the car out of the light, so everything around it is lit. Once you have the framing that you like, make

sure that your camera is solid on its tripod and set the exposure for the car, not the background. This will help illuminate the surrounding area that the naked eye might not see in reality.

Once you have your exposure set, use the flashlight to look though

your viewfinder to set focus, then set the camera to ‘timer’. The slightest shake in a long exposure image can create unwanted blur. Press it and step back. While exposing, have your helper turn the headlights on and off quickly. This will get the lights on in the pic without overexposing.

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f you enjoy L.A. history and car trivia—here is a true story for you.

Did you know that at the site of Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles was once the largest car dealership in the world?— Yes, the world! The Kelley Car Company occupied that choice downtown real estate from the mid-1920s to the late 1950s and there is much more to this story.

This is how a young man who migrated from Arkansas to L.A. in 1918 and started a used car lot in downtown L.A. with three Model T’s and a little cash. His name was Les Kelley and along the way in conjunction with his lucrative used

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car business he developed a method of placing values on used cars that would evolve into the “Kelley Blue Book.”

Les had a great mechanical aptitude and a knack for reconditioning cars. In the 1920s cars were fragile at best and broke down easily. A properly reconditioned used car was a rare find and Les Kelley was the package—he knew how to acquire used cars, rebuild them and sell them. His reputation as a reliable source for a good car was established quickly— business boomed and people were lining up to both sell him their cars and buy a newer model. Can you begin to see an obvious need in all of this? Yes, what are the various cars worth given the car, model, age and mileage? There were no standard costs/prices established at that time.

Keep in mind, in those days new car dealers did not sell used cars.

At first, Kelley would print a price list that he would pay for each type of car that he wanted to buy and circulated these lists to new car dealers so that they could sell their “trade ins” to him. Kelley would buy everything from a $50—Nash all the way to a $3,500 Dusenberg. All cars purchased were reconditioned at his satellite locations for mechanical and auto body repair. All service locations were in close proximity to the dealership. He employed 100s of mechanics, auto body, sales types and managers.

His price list was in demand and in 1926 he published the first “Blue Book” of motor car values. The Blue Book was updated twice a month to reflect changing values and demand for the Kelley Blue Book was incredible—sold only to the “trade” [banks and dealers].

In addition to this innovation, Les also sold insurance packages, car club memberships and auto loans— truly an innovator and pioneer. His

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younger brother, Buster, was also very involved. In the 1920s and 1930s many folks were buying their very first car—the problem—they did not know how to drive—no problem at all. Buster would have them stop by on Sunday—give them a 20 minute driving lesson and off they drove with their “new vehicle.” You gotta do what you got to do.

The Kelley family went completely out of the vehicle business by 1962 and concentrated solely on the Blue Book. His family kept pace with all the available technology and the Blue Book has been available to everyone on the internet for years.

Les Kelley was truly an amazing innovator and one of the leading American Pioneers in the automotive world and particularly in the business of selling “just information” on a broad scale. He passed away in 1990 and the Blue Book was succeeded by his children.

Sources: So Cal Auto News, History of Kelley Blue Book, SCS Intellectuals, Various internet inputs

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wise man once said, “With each changing tide, the past is washed away as the future is revealed”. Think about that for a moment. Things from the past that are forgotten are replaced with something new that will one day be forgotten or replaced as well.

As I pointed out in my last article, the advancements in the automotive industry have been just short of incredible. As new envelopes have been pushed and opened, all of us who are a part of the car community have a responsibility to ensure the new and future generations of car enthusiasts understand where our car culture came from.

It’s very easy now for someone who has a lot of money to simply plop down a wad of cash and purchase a “Store bought Race Car”. Some of the newer generations are fortunate to have the ability or the parents to do

that. Just cruise to your local High School and take a look at the type of cars that are in the student parking lots. I can almost certainly guarantee that they’ll be nicer than the teacher’s/ administration lot. Is this a bad thing?

No, I don’t believe so. The most important thing to me is to educate them on the history and teach them how to work on the older classic cars and hot rods.

Last December at “The World Famous Motor 4 Toys Car Show” I got a real eye opener. If your familiar with me than you know I’m President and founder of “Rock n’ Roll Hot Rods Car Club and drive “The 30 Rat”. This show is our clubs biggest gathering event of the year. With help from other club members and primarily “Ronnie”, the morning starts off with a huge breakfast and coffee fest! Everyone is welcome to join in even if you’re not a club member. This particular morning my good friend John and his two sons Mike age 10,

and Matt age 7 joined us. His sons like cars but I was surprised in what type they really liked. We walked around the car show a bit, and with a little persuasion they were able to take some cool pictures with some of them. When we returned back to the car clubs little corner they both made a dash to my 1930 Rat Rod. Apparently, this was the reason they wanted to come to the car show. John explained to me that his son Mike had a picture of my car for his screensaver.

His sons asked if they could sit in the Rat Rod and without hesitation I said “yes”. John offered his condolences and said “good luck getting them out”! He wasn’t kidding. From the moment they jumped in my Rat Rod it was all over - they never got out.

They had countless questions and wanted to know what every switch and button was for. They wanted to be strapped into the 5 point harness like they were racing. This was so cool to experience. I thought that they would be more interested in Lamborghinis or Ferraris, but boy was I wrong!

I had a similar and very interesting experience a few years ago when I was upgrading the top end of my drag car motor. I had just finished putting in a new cam and was installing the timing gear when a longtime friend happened to stop by. He’s much younger than me but has a similar interest in cars as I do. He went to a popular auto tech school and had graduated. He drove a Honda and was very knowledgeable with the newer foreign cars. I asked him to verify the timing marks on the gear and he confirmed that they were lined up. He then surprised me by explaining that he had no idea how to work on my type of motor. (It’s a 351 Cleveland) Honestly, I was shocked!

He told me that they taught a very small amount about the “early” motors and focused primarily on new motors - now think about that.

Although I will be competing in the NHRA Summit Drag Racing Series for my 4th season, my first NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series experience actually didn’t happen until last year. I went as a spectator with two friends Eric and Reed. Eric is a childhood friend and car club member and Reed (future member) lives right around the corner from me. We were fortunate that Eric knows Pro Motorcycle Racer Angelle Sampey (she has the most wins for any female in both NHRA competition and professional motor sports as a whole) and her husband Seth. Angelle was competing in the event and was able to comp tickets for us to get in.

This was Reeds first time at an NHRA event as well and it was an

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interesting day to see just how excited he was to be there. As the day went on, I was able to get to know him. Reed “is the future” of our car community.

He’s 17 and attends Calabasas High School and is in the 11th grade. He has an insatiable desire for car knowledge and loves pretty much everything from hot rods to late model cars. As a lot of you know, many school electives have been eliminated due to budget cuts. Fortunately at his school, they offer Autotech 1 and 2 in which he has taken and he’s also a part of the “Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge. Very cool in my book!

I was fortunate enough to meet his step dad Shawn at SuperCar Sunday a few weeks ago. He’s a Firefighter at The L.A. County Fire Department Station 125. He brought his Mercedes that I’ve heard a lot about from Reed.

It was originally Shawn’s father’s car.

It had been sitting for quite a while but it’s in remarkably good condition and they were able to get it running and back on the road. I was able to get a play by play from Reed when it was finally driven home. It went something like this – “Hey, my step dad is finally driving it. It’s running good. Wait, he’s having a problem. Oh no, it’s stalled on him. He’s pulling over to the side. It won’t start! He has to have it towed…”

Ultimately, with help, they figured it out. It was clogged fuel injectors due to the debris that had accumulated in the gas tank. I know Shawn’s dad would be proud that they got it back running and on the road. I have to tell you, while reading his play by play text I laughed out loud and it brought a smile to my face because it reminded me of all the unexpected mishaps I’ve experienced throughout the years – I’m sure you can all relate.

This is where the future of our beloved car community starts. It’s so important to share with the young kids and young adults the knowledge and experience that we all have.

Although my own two sons are older now and don’t have the time to learn and work on some of my cars, I still try to drag them in the garage to show them what I’m doing or to help me.

It’s up to us to keep our classic cars and hot rods on the road long after we’re all gone. Finding people or even car shops that work on them is getting harder and very expensive.

So the next time you see your son or daughter sitting in their rooms playing Nintendo or PlayStation, get them outside to your garage or driveway and teach them how to really get their hands dirty.

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California Car Cover has introduced Saturday Socials as the new format for weekend car shows at their headquarters in Chatsworth, Ca for 2017. The company’s take on “Cars and Coffee” will be held on select Saturday mornings from 8am11am March through October. The complete schedule for the car show season can be viewed on the Events Page at calcarcover.com Besides hot coffee and pastries in the morning, Saturday Socials will also feature raffle prizes to raise funds for local charities. The company is planning on making each Saturday Social unique, including special guests, group drives and more. Follow California Car Cover on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date for each Saturday Social’s format.

Much like Supercar Sunday, the Saturday Socials are open to all makes and models of custom cars, new or old. The event is free to attend and open to the public. We look forward to seeing many familiar face and making new friends over on De Soto Ave. this year.

California Car Cover is located at 9525 De Soto Ave. in Chatsworth, Ca 91311.

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t all started at a very young age, my dad enjoyed his cars! Family road trips in the ’68 Cougar, weekends cruising in the DeSoto. One of the best, he’d take me on the weekends to the automotive store to buy various parts for his cars, to this day one of my favorite smells are the new tires in the store!

I was always surrounded by cars and motorbikes. My grandfather worked at the Harley Davidson plant from the opening in 1903 in Milwaukee,Wisconsin, and so the family including my brothers, had those now collectable vintage motorcycles, riding them in the yard and

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down the neighborhood streets. One of my favorite sounds.

In the 50’s my dad drove a green and white cab for Checker, My first car I drove and owned was my 1970 Nova, 350 under the hood, it was quite fast and a lot of fun for a 16 year old. Throughout the years there have been a slew of cars in our garage including Ford pickups, Chevelles, Cadillacs, etc…

Fast forward to today, I enjoy driving my 1965 Dodge Dart GT convertible with a 273 Commando V8 235 HP. Less than 1000 built with the 273/235 V8 engine It’s all stock except for the custom disc

brake conversion,for those steep canyon roads, and Cragar S/S wheels to sport her up! Original bucket seats and first year auto floor shift. My California classic is as fun to drive as it looks!

I’ve had my Dart for about 6 years now, some great local adventures thus far. ‘Betty’ has been in several local car shows over the years bringing home awards from 1st -3rd Place to Best in Class! My favorite part of these shows and events are meeting the people! Everyone shares the best stories about their own cars and how they acquired them, details of the work they have done to them,

and future projects, the shows, the races…which brings me to one of my favorite days of the week, Super Car Sunday! Founder Dustin Troyan has created an epic experience, EVERY Sunday morning, in the parking lot of the old Macy’s Dept store on Topanga Canyon, Woodland Hills,CA. All kinds of cars from American Muscle cars to Exotic Sports cars, you can see them all!

Over the years it has been mostly the guys there, so this is a shout out and calling to all the ladies out there, come on down!! Whether you’re a grease gal, an enthusiast or simply enjoy looking at cars, bring your ride,

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take a peek, have a coffee! I have met so many amazing and interesting people throughout the car community, I’m always excited to meet more women here and would love to highlight a few car girls in future articles!

Cynthia Hernandez is a professional Makeup/Effects Artist in The Television and Motion Picture Industry for 25+ years. Her artistry skills have graced her with an array of credits including ‘Star Trek Deep Space Nine’, ‘Water For Elephants’, and the new HBO series ‘Westworld’. All this hard work has allowed her to enjoy one of her favorite hobbies,CARS!

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few years ago, the Inaugural Invitational Westlake Village Concours was held at the amazing 2,200 acre private estate of David H. Murdock, Ventura Farms. The past two years the event was held at the Four Seasons Resort in Westlake Village.

This year the event was rebranded as the “Revolution de L’Automobile” and held at the stunning Sherwood Country Club in Lake Sherwood.

The theme for 2017 was to honor the 70 year anniversary of Ferrari.

Since Southern California experienced such an excess of rainy weather this year and the forecast on the day of the event was a chance of rain, we weren’t sure what to expect. Since many parts of the United States deal with rain during their car events on a regular basis we figured the organizers had the details worked out just in case. Luckily the weather consisted of only partial clouds with no rain when we arrived so it worked out well.

Rev Auto (an event such as this must have a shortened name for ref-

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erence) is more about quality than quantity and is on par with the very few top tier local annual car events.

The focus is on the enjoyment of the finer things in life with likeminded individuals, many of whom most likely don’t attend a car event on a weekly basis. The venue was a perfect blend of upscale ambiance with the manicured gardens and beautiful green hills surrounding the Georgian Style estate design of the Sherwood Country Club. Inside the various rooms there was a silent auction, upscale real estate and luxury

goods retailers and Westlake Ferrari Dealership, so you could actually order a new Ferrari at the event if you chose to. Inside the spacious dining area was a Grammy winning Jazz trio adding to the atmosphere and a few cars on display around the room with amazing views out of the enormous picture windows.

Upon entering the long driveway entrance we were greeted by a select group of vehicles on either side of the circular drive. On the left were some new McLaren’s and some various Ferrari’s and the right side was

mostly classic American and a few European cars. There were a few other vehicles outside the building and surrounding areas. Some of the Ferraris were a 1958 Ferrari 250GT LWB California Spyder, a 1952 Ferrari 212/225 Barchetta by Touring Superleggera (a gift from Enzo Ferrari to Henry Ford), a 1968 Ferrari 330 GTC, a 1991 Ferrari F40, a late model Ferrari 599 GTO and a 1968 Ferrari 330 GTS. It was a nice mix of classic and a few newer Ferrari vehicles.

Some of the other vehicles were

an Alfa-Romeo 6C 2300B Mille Miglia Berlinetta (with Argentina license plates), a 1928 Auburn 8-115 “Boat tail” Speedster, a Delahaye 135M by Van Leersum, and a 1934 Auburn V12 Model 1250 Phaeton.

A few other vehicles of note were a 1954 Nash-Healy LeMans Coupe

by Pininfarina, a Porsche 356A 1600 S Speedster, a 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster and one of my alltime favorites a 1954 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL “Gull wing”. Most of the vehicles were from the United States and Europe. Japan may have gotten

off to a later start in the “car scene”, but they have progressed greatly over the past few decades. At this event there were two classic examples from Japan. There was the “first” sports car from that country, a 1967 Toyota Sports 800 and also an iconic 1968 Toyota 2000 GT in the rare (1 of 61) left-hand drive configuration. A few years ago a Toyota 2000 GT was the first Japanese car to reach a value of $1,000,000 so this car was not outof-place at Rev Auto.

For a first effort (or the fourth based on how this event is perceived)

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Rev Auto displayed some very special and unique automobiles, provided great food and company among beautiful surroundings. The event was considered a big success by those guests I spoke with. The event organizers also donate a portion of the proceeds to benefit local charitable organizations. I wish them well in future years.

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Keith, you are the General Manager of Rusnak Porsche in Westlake, how long have you held that position?

I’ve worked for the Rusnak Auto Group since 2001, but have been the General Manager since 2009.

How did you get your start in the car business?

It was actually a fluke. It was only supposed to be temporary, and here we are 24 years later.

How did you get to your position, the General Manager of one of the largest Porsche Dealerships on the West Coast?

Well, when I accepted the position we were quite a bit smaller. Over the course of time, and building our new store on the 101 freeway, we have outpaced Porsche’s growth. Sometimes by 4x year over year.

If I recall correctly, you “opened the Rusnak Porsche Store about 10 years ago,” tell us about opening a store and getting it to where it is today...

Starting out in stores from the ground level, and building a culture is something I am extremely passion about. First and foremost, we had to reinvent our sales process and approach in the community.

Our business is built on our client’s repeat business and referral network. This represents 70% of the Porsches we sell.

My understanding is that Rusnak Porsche continues to win awards and be recognized for excellence by Porsche North America, can you tell us about these awards and recognitions, and how do you lead your team to achieve these goals?

We are a four time consecutive winner of Porsche’s Premier Dealer award. It is the best possible representation of the Porsche brand on many levels. It is achieved with intense strategy, as well as everyone’s buy in on what it means to provide the best service in the industry. Only the top 25 dealers out of 200 qualify for this prestigious award. There are many other awards that follow, but this is the best one by far.

Are you a car guy?

I am a car guy, but I am a little partial...

What cars have you owned in the past, what is your favorite car that you have owned?

Too many to mention, but as silly as it sounds, my favorite car was my first new car was a Lincoln Mark 8. My favorite Porsche is the 991 Turbo S.

What would you tell someone wanting to get into the car business, best advice?

Be committed, hungry, and be prepared to give up your personal life for a while!

What is your favorite part of

the car business?

Fulfilling our client’s dreams of owning a Porsche, and the deep rooted relationships I have built with our clients.

Do you have a favorite story?

At the very first company holiday party, I had an opportunity to speak with Mr. Rusnak one on one. Although I had just started as a sales manager that year, I told him that one day I would be running one of his dealerships. He remembered that night, and once I was promoted he took the time to remind me of our conversa-

tion.

A general manager of a car dealership is a very busy job, how do you balance your work life with your family life? Tell us about your family?

This April I will be married for 23 years.

My wife and I have five children and have lived in the Conejo Valley for 22 years.

I couldn’t do my job without the terrific support of my significant other. My career is demanding, however, work is work, and family is family. You have to make the time no matter what.

You have compiled an incredible team at your dealership, tell us about your talent... how do you find them and how do you keep them?

We are very selective. Everyone one of our employees goes through a rigorous interview process. We take the time to interview extensively. This allows us to get a better understanding of the applicant and the applicant can get a better understanding of our operation. People stay with us for many reasons, but mostly because we take care of our employees. It’s very im-

portant.

A General Manager plays many different roles, leader, innovator, motivator, decision maker that is a lot of stress, how do you manage it all?

I love what I do. I look at it as more of a hobby. It’s easy to do if you love it.

Working your way to the top, how did you do it?

100% Passion. I had set the goal many years ago and never gave up until I obtained it.

I understand that there is a

performance/customizing side at Rusnak Porsche, tell us what you guys do....

We have a Rusnak Motorsports division, a lot of different customizable options for your Porsche.

What is the best business advice you could give us?

In the car business, it is all about customer service!

Do you have anything special planned for Rusnak Porsche customers in the future?

Of course…Stay tuned!

If you could send a message to your team who may be reading this, what would you tell them?

I’m proud of you!

Parting thought, carte blanche, what thought do you want to leave our readers with?

If you haven’t had the opportunity to do business with us, we would love to open our home up to you and show you what a great experience it is. Please feel free to contact me directly. www.porschewestlake.com

M

arc, we have known each other for over a decade. You are a business owner, a father, a BMW expert, a car guy on epic proportions, a track instructor, did I miss anything?

Huge sports nut!

Did you always love car? What or who got you into car?

My father loved sports cars, which led to my brothers buying sports cars…… always been a family thing Tell us about the cars you have owned over the years, what have you owned, what do you currently own and if you could own one car at any price, what would it be?

Too many to list, I’ve been VERY fortunate. I currently have 5 M3’s of varying forms that I really like. If I had to pick ONE car – P-Car 911rs.

So you are a track guy, how did you get into driving on the track and instructing? How long have you been doing that? Any great track moments?

At one point I was into motorcycles and riding in the canyons which graduated to the track. When I met my wife, she nixed the motorcycles and I switched to cars 18 years ago.

You own and operate a BMW/ Mini repair shop called Bavarian Workshop in West Hills, tell us about your business....

We do a lot of different things, mostly maintenance related, upgrades and performance enhancements. We truly enjoy what we do and are very fortunate to work on some pretty cool cars.

What prompted you to start your own shop?

Well I was working for BMW at the time and the previous owner of my business made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

How long have you been in business? Tell us your favorite story from being a shop owner....

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Well I have owned this shop for 21 years, one of my favorites was when the M2 owner first came to us to restore his father’s 2002. He got

caught up in what we have in the shop and the way we go about things and he started thinking up ways we could hot rod his car!

Beyond maintenance, you also do full restorations as well as building track cars, tell us about that? What have you restored and what type of track cars have you built?

We love the act of taking a car apart and restoring it to the original

condition as it rolled off the assembly line. It is quite satisfying. We have built MANY track –day type cars for HPDE enthusiasts. Currently we are in the process of finishing a hi-tech 89 M3, with some of the latest technology installed in it.

As a business owner and an entrepreneur, what do you think are the keys to your businesses success?

I’d have to say what drives BWS is my

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passion for cars.

As a husband and father, is it a challenge to be so involved in work and the motorsport community?

How do you balance it all?

Fortunately the family is involved and we participate as such at track days.

What advice would you give a person starting off in automotive?

To invest heavily in learning electronics. Today’s vehicles are extremely complicated, rolling computers.

Tell us about your toughest moment as a business owner and your best moment?

Last year we lost a bright young tech to an unfortunate accident. All the accolades and awards from building the M2, and we still hear about it weekly.

Where do you see the future of motorsports going?

There will always be some type of competition, it will merely evolve into electrified racing.

If you could to it all over again, would you do anything different?

Probably would have been better off to just being a businessman from the start and remove myself from the shop

with a person on the front counter.

Give us some life advice. What does it “all” mean to you?

Do what you love to do if at all possible.

Be happy… you are in control of it all……….. Be a good human…… it comes back to you www.bavarianworkshop.com 27

My whole life I have always had a passion for cars. I can remember helping my Dad in the garage as he would do oil changes, fix breaks, and wrench on his cars. Throughout the years I have restored various cars including a 61 Cadillac, a 37 Plymouth, and a 58 Buick. Although I love classic cars, I have always wanted to build a true American muscle car.

When the opportunity came to get my hands on the car I’d been searching for, I took it. In 2015, I began a

full restoration on a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback that I purchased from a gentleman living in Kentucky. The seller and I were able to make a deal that worked for both of us. I found out about the history of the car and learned that it was raced all throughout the 1980’s. It had a fully built 289 Hi-performance engine and an ashtray full of time slips from the track.

It even came with the original race helmet! When I first purchased the car I had originally planned on keep-

ing it simple and giving her a decent paint job. However, after driving the car I realized how cool it would be to take it all apart and do a complete restoration. Push the clock ahead just over a year and a half and what I wound up with is a full pro-touring style resto-mod. AKA Hell on wheels!

This car was taken completely apart and sand blasted by Ajax. The paint and body work was done by Chino Zaragoza, owner of Chinoz Autobody in Winnetka CA. All of the original trim was fully refinished and everything else was purchased from Mustang Etc. Garrett and Allen were awesome with getting everything needed for this complex built. Joe Peck from JPC did amazing work with welding in the TCI front clip and building the car from

the ground up.

I used a brand new crate Coyote 5.0 with Doug long tube headers merged with a 6 speed manual transmission and Mcleod clutch. I had to have AC I use a Vintage Air system that fit perfectly behind the dash and utilized the original controls. I had a custom independent rear end built by Curt Hamilton with posi. When it came time to find the perfect wheels for the car, Jesse Kline from Coastline Motorsports recommended Larry from Boze Alloy, Inc. I purchased a set of 18x12 for the rear and wrapped them in 335/30/18 Nittos. For the brakes I used Wilwood all around.

After the car was built, Eddie from Addiction Motorsport worked his magic with the tune. The car weight is 3,070 lbs with a full tank of gas and 52/48 split (not too shabby).

Alex Dekadokh’s Fastback

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The next journey began when I needed to have the suspension adjusted and dialed in. After searching high and low, Cris Gonzalez from JCG Restoration & Customs by Dustin Troyan came highly recommended. Chris did an awesome job with setting up the suspension with the full potential and picking the right spring rates. He found the perfect balance between street and track and I could not be more pleased with the result. Overall, the build of the car took 1 year and 7 month and the end result is simply awesome. I have met a lot of amazing people along the way and am very grateful for all of the help I have received. Now I know what a true American muscle car should look and feel like and am so proud of this beauty.

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by Mark Llewellyn

Nice Wheels

www.LeonsTransmission.com

Interesting Tire & Wheel Milestones

It is a known fact that a nice “set of wheels” can improve a car’s handling and performance, but what seems more important to the automotive public is the aesthetic look of the wheel.

How many times have you seen a junker-of-a-car, but man it had a nice set of wheels! I can remember my high school days, and the most important thing to do when you got a new car was to slap some mag wheels and wide tires on the car and burn the tread off as fast as possible.

Today’s manufacturers have caught on and offer custom wheels as standard equipment on not only performance vehicles but all types of automobiles. One can even see custom wheels on big rigs cruising down the interstate.

If you want to see the evolution of tires and wheels in one place, visit the Murphy Auto Museum in Oxnard for a first-hand history lesson of the automotive wheel and more!

3370 BC – Inscriptions depicting a four-wheeled animaldrawn wagon on a pot discovered in Poland in 1976 confirm wheels were in use during “The Bronze Age” 1839 – Charles Goodyear discovers how to vulcanize rubber 1846 – Scottish engineer Robert Thomson patents the pneumatic tire 1870 – William Hillman and James Starley invent the wire spoke wheel 1895 – Edward and Andre Michelin enter the first car with pneumatic tires in a race. Paris-Bordeaux-Paris 732 mile run with 24 inner tubes used 1915 – Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone become camping buddies. Their grandchildren, William Ford and Martha Firestone marry in 1947. Somehow the marriage survives the Explorer-Firestone tire debacle of 2000.

1924 – Bugatti introduces cast aluminum wheels on its Type 35 racer 1950 – The Lancia Aurelia is the first car fitted with Michelin X radial tires 1955 – Tubeless tires become standard equipment 1963 – Mickey Thompson introduces the low profile tire 1967 – Firestone introduces the wide oval bias-belted tire that gave muscle cars their racy stance 1970 – The Lincoln Continental Mark III is the first American car with standard steel-belted radials 1982 – Bob Chandler begins wowing crowds by driving over cars with his “Bigfoot” Ford truck equipped with 5’5” tires!

1994 – Chevy Corvettes are the first cars to offer run flats 2005 – The 253-mph Bugatti Veyron is equipped with Michelin PAX run flat radials - $26,000 per set to replace

Over 30 years of award winning experience 22836 Ventura Blvd.

Woodland Hills, CA 91364

(818) 222-8881

www.coastlinemotorsport.com

FORD LINCOLN OF OXNARD | WOODLAND HILLS

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S

ellers often ask us when is the best time to put a home on the market.

The answer isn’t always simple, as various factors affect how quickly ​a ​home sells​...​and at what price. Weather of course is always a factor, as people enjoy househunting much more when the weather is nice. Gardens in bloom increase curb appeal, and Spring/Summer lighting certainly heightens mood and presentation. Desirable weather is one advantage we always have here in the Golden State - recent ​showers not withstanding.

Economic factors are a consideration as well. The National Association of Realtors reports that consumers are ​once again ​optimistic​ about the housing market after a five month decline. They are more upbeat about home prices and income, and less concerned about losing their jobs. However, low inventory in Los Angeles creates greater competition for each property on the market.

Buyers are starting earlier and looking longer knowing they could lose out in multiple offer situations. Parents, of course, are very concerned about timing and often start looking well in advance in order to get the family settled before the start of the school year.

According to Zillow, which conducted a study of the 25 largest metro areas, the first two weeks of May resulted in sales that were 18.5 days faster and 1% higher than average nationally. ​Ma​ny LA area agents consider the last two weeks of April to be very favorable as well​.

Thus, if you are thinking about listing your home, now is the perfect time to start decluttering and making those repairs you’ve been putting off.

Paint if necessary and get those flowers planted. D ​ on’t hesitate to contact us if you need help in prepping, pricing or listing your home. ​Remember, preparation equals profit​!

Gwen Banta

(323) 252 1700 (310) 985 2719 Connecting the Worlds of Real Estate 35 www.LosAngelesLuxuryHomesForSale.com

Tory Herald

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STORY BY MIKE GRUDT | PHOTOS BY GREG GRUDT

E

nzo Anselmo Ferrari was born on February 18, 1898 in Modena, Italy.

Enzo worked in the car industry in different capacities and was a successful racer before he founded Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947 and the rest is as they say “history”. Each year during the month of February the Petersen Automotive Museum holds a Sunday morning drive-in for Ferrari owners and their faithful followers. Since this year marks the 70th Anniversary of the company, there are many other events planned in celebration of this milestone.

Southern California has experienced record amounts of rain this year and on the day of the event there was a prediction of rain. We didn’t know how many cars would

show up, but as we found out a little threat of rain didn’t hold back the Ferrari loyalists. The total number of cars was down slightly from previous years, but it didn’t matter as we enjoyed the beautiful examples that did participate.

This year we didn’t see a LaFerrari, an F50, F40 or a 288GTO but there was an Enzo in the main lobby of the museum. We figured there must always be as least one Enzo at this event. There were numerous Ferrari 458 Speciale and Speciale Aperta’s in various color combinations and at least one 599 GTO. There were 458’s, 488’s and as the years go by we see fewer F430’s and 360’s among others. My favorite car was the ultra-rare one of six Ferrari Sergio in an amazing gray over black color

combo. That was my second Sergio sighting, which isn’t too bad seeing one-third of the total production of this car. I saw a couple of Scuderia’s, at least one 16M and a Testarossa or two. There were a few older models including 348’s, 355’s, 550’s and others, but not much in the way of classics from the early 60’s and prior years. I don’t blame those owners for not bringing out their up to seven figure museum pieces to this event with rain looming overhead. We’ll see them at one of the other Ferrari gatherings this year.

After enjoying the great selection of Italian engineering at the show we made a quick stop inside the museum. The Petersen always has an amazing assortment of rare and unique vehicles. A few of their

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current exhibits are “The Art of Bugatti”, “The Eagle’s Have Landed: Dan Gurney’s All American Racers” and a new one “Harley vs. Indian”.

The lobby always has a few great examples of cars and motorcycles or boats on display. Currently there are three Ferrari’s on display, a 599 GTO, an Enzo and a perfect 250GT TDF. Each in traditional Ferrari Red (Rosso Corsa, I believe). There were also two Indy cars from the late 60’s and early 70’s and a small wooden speed boat which I believe was built by Ettore Bugatti. We are so fortunate to have such a world class facility in our backyard. If you haven’t visited the museum recently (or at all) you owe it to yourself to schedule a visit with family and friends.

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