Iconic campers - Car Finder Garage tells about the renovation [PHOTOS]

The interest in classic motorization around the world is growing. Historic vehicles are a passion for many people, and for some even a certain capital investment. We managed to meet and talk to an interesting man who made a profession out of his passion for the classics. Przemysław Danel is the owner of the Car Finder Garage company based in Bielsko Biała and in his life he has reactivated many a cult motorhome. We strongly encourage you to read and view the gallery presenting the effects of Przemek and his team's work. Emotions guaranteed!

How did your adventure with the classics start?

For me and my employees, what we do is part of our automotive "hobby". Each of us has dealt with the automotive industry for many years and explored its secrets. There was a time when I worked in England in a workshop specializing in Volkswagen and Porsche. Then the decision was made to open your own workshop. As I have always driven old VWs, mainly Beetles and " cucumbers " and I always had to dig around, I had the greatest experience in this area. At the beginning, however, we also made other cars - a lot of Mercedes, a lot of American cars. However, the time has come to decide about the future of the company and for 5 years we have been dealing exclusively with old Volkswagen cars. If someone would like to renovate vintage cars, and this is not his passion, he will never be successful in this field. It is a heavy piece of bread. I do not know anyone who - even being a tinsmith or varnisher - without passion and only seeing a good deal in it, was able to develop such a business without having a hobby and fun in it. It just can't work. Renovating classics is a long and monotonous process. The contribution of the work is not always reflected in the financial aspect. If you are not satisfied with your work and you are happy to see the final effect of your work, then you simply will not do it.

You have a very narrow specialization ...

Yes it's true. When we buy T1 / T2 models, they are cars with a camper van , Westphalia or passenger cars. In the case of motorhomes, we do not produce our own bodies. We always rebuild the original in book style to restore its original appearance and equipment. Sometimes we are dealing with an incomplete motorhome or completely devoid of buildings. Then, on the basis of nameplates, photos and various archival materials, we try to recreate the original body and equipment 1: 1, so that it looks exactly the same as the vehicle from the era.

Is there any classic customer model?

At the moment, I would distinguish 2 groups of customers: on the one hand, they are people who love Volkswagen or have been driving Volkswagen cars for years. They want to fulfill their dream of buying a car or renovate their own. On the other hand, we have people who, in these uncertain times, observe the classic market as a potentially interesting option for capital investment. Most of the cars we deal with on a daily basis are an excellent investment, because such monuments - at least until the pandemic - were gaining in value. Often these investors are businessmen, not necessarily passionate about classic motorization. The vast majority of our clients are now Scandinavians - even 85%. We also have some Dutch and Germans. We have practically no clients from Poland. All our marketing is done through word of mouth.

How do you source cars?

Some of them are, of course, the cars of customers who entrust us with renovation work and projects are carried out in accordance with their assumptions. The second part is called "My" cars that I buy myself - mostly in the USA. Cars from this market are characterized by the best value for money - even if they are to be fully restored, they can be saved. Customers' cars that reach us from Scandinavia are usually in a deplorable condition, and the decision to renovate them is often made for sentimental reasons.

What cost do you have to take into account when looking for a classic motorhome? What mistakes should you avoid?

In the prices alone, one can notice a considerable spread. It all depends on whether we buy a car for renovation or we decide to buy a finished, restored vehicle. In the case of a finished product - for example in Westphalia - we are talking about the cost of 40-45 thousand Euro. As for the T1 - the original "SO" models are in the order of 60-70 thousand Euro. You have to bear in mind that the cost of buying a car itself is usually about EUR 15,000, the rest of this amount is the cost of renovation. And here we come to the heart of the matter. I explain to all my clients that the very purchase of a vehicle is just the beginning of a long road. Many of them catch themselves buying a car, and only then begin to realize how much it will cost to renovate and bring it to the desired condition. When the final planned cost reaches them, they often give up and sell or renovate haphazardly or on their own. When anyone calling me asks if the project will be "closed" within the specified financial framework, I immediately advise against going further in this topic. It is never the case that these costs can be accurately estimated, because many things come out in the process. You have to measure your intentions according to the principle "I can't afford it - I don't buy". If you do not have the funds for an ambitious project, simply for less money buy a cheaper classic that does not require a lot of work and drives. The lack of funds often means that we do the work ourselves, buy a welding machine, and the renovation process itself takes longer than building a house - often even 10 years. The final effect often leaves a lot to be desired, and the enthusiasm and fun fade away.

Which of your completed projects can be described as the most spectacular? Certainly, the T1 with motorhome housing should be mentioned here, we had the opportunity to renew a few of the SO 34 and 42 models without furniture. They were original campervan versions that we recreated from photos and they turned out beautifully. Of course, we have kept full photographic documentation of our work, which we will of course be happy to share with camprest.com readers. Over the years, we have also renovated many Westphalia, but it is difficult to boast about specific projects. Each of them is special and important to us in its own way. However, I always return to the T1 with sentiment, because there are very few of them and they require the most work and time.

How do you rate the Polish market and its future potential?

There is some revival and revival in the domestic market, for several years we have noticed a rapid increase in customers who can afford this hobby. However, compared to Western Europe or Scandinavia, there is still a huge gap here. In retrospect, returning to the situation from several years ago, we are talking about progress. I remember a time when our interest in this form of passion or investment was low, and the moods of buyers were dominated by uncertainty, for example related to the lack of parts on the domestic market. For comparison, for example, in England there were already a dozen or so thriving stores with parts for classic Volkswagen cars . Zloty in Poland hosted 10 classic vehicles, in England several thousand each. On my own example, I can see that more and more aware customers are. In the past, everyone wanted to have everything done quickly and cheaply. Now, for many, quality matters - as a nation, we also want to be proud of at international rallies.

What are your plans for the future?

We are now seeing the impact of the pandemic on our business. There is a group of customers who ask us to slow down the restoration work of their vehicles due to the global situation. By implication, their argumentation is correct - the situation is difficult, and we are not talking about essentials. The prices of the offered cars are also falling. Sellers take into account the possibility of turbulence on the market. We are also keeping a close eye on how the situation develops. Unless there is a rock collapse and we are not forced to change industries, we will certainly continue to pursue customers' dreams of classics. We have just finished work on a new hall, and in fact a lounge or show room, where we will present classics available for sale and meet and talk with customers in peace. The current hall will continue to be our technical base, where work related to the renovation of vehicles will be carried out. My new idea is an electrician in monuments. I see potential for the future here, especially among Scandinavian customers who ask about the possibility of injecting an electric heart into a classic. I am currently working on two cars from customers who have expressed interest in this drive. I am counting on the implementation of the plans as long as the restrictions related to the pandemic are not maintained and the market stabilizes again.

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