Brad Long

I have been in the body shop business since I was 18, I specialize in auto painting. I worked at Collison Centers and have owned my own collision repair. I have always been interested in vintage cars and trucks. One day my wife said she wanted her own car to take to shows and chose a VW Bug, all I knew as my dad owned one when I was a kid and he also raced VW's on a dirt track. We restored it in our garage at home, after work and on weekends, it took us 2 1/2 yrs. With the help of my dad and my son, "Sammy" 1970 bug was complete. After restoring "Sammy" we traveled to shows for 1 year from Bugupaluza Chattanooga, BugOrama in Kansas, Fast times at Farmington, North Carolina to name a few. We ended the year at BugJam where we won 1st place in our class and Bests of Show. Over the years we decided to quit our day jobs and restore VW's as a full time job. After we bought hers it peeked my interest and I bought one, "Lucille" a rusted out 68 bug on air ride, the stories this car could tell, then another "Slappy" a 74 bug it was a great little bug I just favor the older ones so I sold it and purchased "Gangsta" a 62 RHD fully custom bug that we debut at BugJam, the following year and took home 1st in class and Best of Show. "Gangsta" has been in several magazines, Volksmania ran a 5 page spread about the build, I sold it to a 16 year old in Florida who still drives it today. I currently drive "Ugly Betty" a 66 bug, patina and yellow as my daily driver. Since then we have built and restored many award winning VW's from bugs to buses, I am currently restoring "Lie to Me" a 72 bug, that will be for sale when complete. . We continue to restore VW's bringing life back to a high school first car to it was my parents car or I just seen it and thought it would be a good one. Modifying and taking the build to a higher level is one of my favorite parts. You can make something our parents only dreamed of. I have met some great friends in the VW community and love to attend shows and hang out whenever I can. This year we are having our first VW Show and we are so excited, it is in our town near the shop and we have a great response from everyone wanting to attend, just hang out and have some fun and see what everyone has done to their VW's. Putting on the show and trying to complete 2 cars for this years BugJam in November we are always on the go but my whole family gets involved and it makes it all worth it. Current restorations in progress at the shop are, 51 split window bug, 67 bug, 72 squareback, 63 split window bus, 3 bay windows, 78 SB Conv, 72 Ghia and many more that are not full restores just getting some love.