Drive Whatcom Summer 2018

Summer

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

WHAT’S INSIDE:

A look at Heavy Metal Custom Shop’s progress on their 1965 VW Beetle restoration project .........................DW3 The family-owned Kountry Customz sells accessories and fosters community .................................................DW6 A supplement of the

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2018 | Ferndale Record

DIEHL

Summer Drive Whatcom

Family owned & operated for 4 generations!

1820 James St. • Bellingham I-5 Exit 254

360-392-7000 • 800-628-9331

QUALITY SALES AND SERVICE TO OUR CUSTOMERS SINCE 1908

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Summer Drive Whatcom

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2018 | Ferndale Record

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Restoration presses on

Restoration work continues on the 1965 Shop Beetle at Heavy Metal Custom Shop of Bellingham. The project is moving a little slower than planned due to a lot of work being done on many customer vehicles, but Paul and Jennifer Teigrob continue to chip away at the project. (Courtesy photo/Jennifer Teigrob)

Heavy Metal Custom Shop’s ‘65 Beetle restoration continues as business booms

By Brent Lindquist brent@lyndentribune.com

BELLINGHAM — Restoring a car can take a long time, and fortunately Paul and Jennifer Teigrob are no strangers to car res-

toration.

The couple owns Heavy Metal Custom Shop and its sister business, HMC Garage, and their restoration of a 1965 Volkswagen Beetle is taking a bit longer than expected.

In the spring 2018 issue of Drive Whatcom, the Beetle had been acquired for labor as their yearly full-restoration project tradition. The classic Beetle had undergone a full teardown to its bare shell, with rusty parts being cut out and replaced. The Beetle needed lots of sanding to get everything ready to be painted.

Since then, a great deal more sanding has taken place, and the Teigrobs’ parts car, an extra Beetle simply used for parts on the restoration project, has been used.

They cut out the side panel of the “Other Bug,” as they affectionately call it, and replaced it on the ’65 Beetle.

While lots of sanding has happened on the Beetle itself, it looks mostly the same as it did last time. However, the pan looks quite different. It has been stripped down, sandblasted, powdercoated and sealed. The Teigrobs also added drop

spring plates, which serve to lower the car.

The engine was already running when they acquired the Beetle, so it was partially torn down to check out the innards and to replace all the seals inside. They also cleaned the engine. The transmission has been cleaned and painted, and the pan has been completely reinstalled.

One very essential part of the project is the restoration of the old speedometer, which was handled by Erich Tritz, a very key helper on the project.

See Beetle on C4

Summer Drive Whatcom

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2018 | Ferndale Record

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Beetle Continued from C3

The restoration of the Beetle's speedometer by Erich Tritz is one of the centerpieces of the car's interior. (Brent Lindquist/Lynden Tribune)

Jumps • Lockouts • Tires • Fuel Deliveries • Winchout • Tow • Recovery

The Teigrobs had hoped to be farther along with the Beetle by this point in July, but other paying projects have taken precedent over their personal ones.

“We are a bit behind on this project. Being as it is our personal project, it tends to get put on the back burner, as our main focus is always customer cars,” Jennifer said. “We are busy working on late-model Volkswagens, which is our main focus at HMC Garage.”

HMC Garage pulls from Paul’s 15 years as a dealertrained, master-certified Volkswagen technician. HMC Garage offers routine maintenance and bumper-to-bumper repairs, engine replacements, repairs and modifications, suspension modifications and custom builds. The Teigrobs are committed to getting cars back to customers as quickly as possible, so their personal

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Summer Drive Whatcom projects may have to wait. They do expect to have the Beetle all put back together in September or October.

For Paul and Jennifer Teigrob, the Beetle is part of an annual tradition in which their family chooses a restoration project for the coming year as close to the new year as possible. For 2018, they chose the Beetle, affectionately known on social media as #65ShopBeetle.

The public is welcome to come in and see the Beetle’s progress, as well as the other projects currently going at Heavy Metal Custom Shop and HMC Garage, at their first-anniversary open house, set for 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, at the shop located at 3819 Bakerview Spur in Bellingham. Free hot dogs, chips and soda will be on hand, as well as pinstripes, shop tours, giveaways and more.

Visit heavymetalcustomshop.com for more information about Heavy Metal Custom Shop, and HMC Garage for more on the VW service side of the business.

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2018 | Ferndale Record

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There's still a lot of work to be done, but much has already been accomplished on the Beetle, both in terms of the interior and the exterior. (Brent Lindquist/Lynden Tribune)

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Summer Drive Whatcom

Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2018 | Ferndale Record

Bringing family ‘Customz’ to Whatcom Family-owned auto accessory shop celebrates community

By Ashley Hiruko ashley@lyndentribune.com

The Redix family has made Whatcom County home for the past five years, coming from Texas. (Ashley Hiruko/Lynden Tribune)

BELLINGHAM — It’s hard not to feel like family at Kountry Customz. The Redix family makes it a priority to put customers at ease and invoke a feeling of being at home — the Texas transplants have their Southern charm to thank.

“Our home is Kountry Customz and we want to make everyone feel this is home for them as well,” said co-founder Annicka Redix. “It makes a difference when you feel welcome and get what you need at an affordable price. It’s really what it’s all about — you get what need without having to sacrifice.”

Meanwhile, customer vehicles are decked out with the latest gadgets and gizmos. It’s what the auto customizers have become known for.

Car alarm systems, stereos, window tinting for vehicles, boats, RVs and off-road vehicles, GPS devices and specialty lights are just some of what they do.

And behind it all is the group effort of Annicka, her children Jada and Jordan, and husband and installer Mike, along with help from other family members and friends.

“He’s a one-man show,” Annicka said about her husband. “He’s just a go-getter.”

Mike began his education on vehicles at a young age, she said, and has always held a big interest. He’s had his time working for brand-name companies in Texas, Canada and other locations. But Washington is where the close-knit family decided to plant “Keep Your Vehicle In Shape This Summer” • Engine tuned up for better mileage • Transmission serviced • Brake repair and brake fluid flushed • Air condition recharge & repair

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2018 | Ferndale Record

Summer Drive Whatcom permanent roots. Coincidentally, they come from the small town of Linden in Texas.

The auto specialty spot celebrates their five-year anniversary in 2018. Located at 5930 Guide Meridian Rd., Kountry Customz has been open since 2013. And they have award wins to show for the work put in.

The 2017 Seattle A-List, a contest with awards based on more than 18,000 votes from local Seattle-area experts, has Kountry Customz ranked as number one out of 28 for car stereos.

But Annicka stresss that other things are prioritized ahead of award wins. “It’s not about the money,” Annicka said. “It’s about the interactions we have. It’s about being a community and helping each other to grow.”

Since 2014, the company has collected coats to be donated during the winter months. And in exchange a discount on a remote start is given. There are plans in the works to somehow help those suffering with dementia and alzheimers.

“It’s been a blessing,” Annicka said.

“The ability to give our children this foundation — for them to experience first-hand what it means to work hard for what you believe in, for what you know and love, and still come out whole, so to speak, has been a blessing.”

This Kountry Customz project features 12-inch subwoofers with a custom-fabricated insert, complete with LED backlit panels. (Courtesy photo/Kountry Customz)

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*Must present coupon when scheduling appointment and at time of vehicle drop off. Must call to make an appointment. Limit one per vehicle. Not valid toward supplies and parts, except for tinting.

Tinting is 35% on 2 front windows, due to regulation. No cash value. No cash back for unused portion. Coupon cannot be combined with other coupons, discounts or promotions. Offer valid from July 23, 2018 thru August 31, 2018.

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360-966-4800

Randy Walters

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Lynden Tribune | Wednesday, July 18, 2018 | Ferndale Record

Summer Drive Whatcom