21 years Bitches!

[czechhaza]

#65916

Congratulations JJ! You should feel so good going out on top.  And you should be so proud of your work.  Seriously the best there is! Here’s to little projects and big fun🎉

[John Jones]

#65947

czechhaza wrote:

Congratulations JJ! You should feel so good going out on top. And you should be so proud of your work. Seriously the best there is! Here’s to little projects and big fun

   Thanks…   It was fun… we did good..!!!   I never claimed to be the best, but I was always good at getting it done!!! 😎 😎    Loved almost every minute of it!!! 😎 😎 😎

 

Honesty can potentially harm your relationship 😢

[John Jones]

#66082

There are soo many cars around here… I don’t think they want me to quit!!!!!!

I guess I will never quit what I am doing.. This is not a job, this is my life.. No matter what happens today or tomorrow, or next year… I am going to continue to do the same old thing I have been doing.. No matter what customers I have, no matter what employes I have, I will always be a Volkswagen guy… and I reckon I will always be the man behind KCW…. Good bad or indifferent..

So as much as I want some change, some things are never going to change….  And sometimes, as much as you want change…. somethings don’t change… Like the old saying… You can take the man out of the trailer park.. but you can’t take the trailer park out of the man… it happened, it made it’s impression and now, we are dealing with the actions of yesterday…. 😎  Good, bad or indifferent. 😎

Honesty can potentially harm your relationship 😢

[John Jones]

#66136

My struggle currently is the cost of doing work in general seems to have become unsustainable..  and I haven’t had any great suggestion on how to bring the cost down… Wait… just lower the shop rate right??  😎 😎 😎

To sum it up in as few a words as possible, the customers FEEL like they are spending too much money, and the workers feel like they should MAKE more money for such specialized and detailed work..  On old crusty 50 plus year old cars…  ME being top of that “worker” list… 😎

All these years I see how we did it… PASSION and Drive, Effort and SACRIFICE!   We gave away time…  Everyday.. All of us.. and possibly me being the biggest absorber of free time..   But I assure you, we all did it… And way back 10 years ago,, guys made like $15 an hour and were happy about it!… that’s minimum wage now. 😎

I have also lost my sense of urgency… Back in the day… I Rallied the troops daily.. For instance, I made damn sure we made our goals each week even if I stayed till midnight to make it happen.  If I had to come in at 2:30, I would.. and stay late, I would…. Today….. Not so much.. Call it getting old, LAZY, or maybe blame my f’ed up back…. but I just do not care to work as hard as I did, when I could.  I could make up ANY loss that we occured, simply by working more… It was fuckign easy… and I didn’t need sleep back then.. so that was perfect too….   I could work 8 hours a day and pay my bills, and work the next 8 making up for all the losses and time..   Even if it was working on my shit, cause you knew it would be forsale NEXT month!!!!  😎  One way or another, I was always moving forward, no matter the EFFORT it took.  Effort was free back then… and I could get my guys to participate in the extra hour program too…  we worked so many hours… it HAD to work…

Now I want it to work just working a few hours a day and no free work..   hummm.  that’s a tough one 😎  I can’t solve this puzzle…

Honesty can potentially harm your relationship 😢

[volksaddict]

#66157

Nobody puts out the effort like the owner, and we all (owners) do the free work. If you are doing it right the rewards make up for the free work.

[John Jones]

#66174

volksaddict wrote:

Nobody puts out the effort like the owner, and we all (owners) do the free work. If you are doing it right the rewards make up for the free work.

Jeff… Your right again… 😎 😎  Your a smart old man…. 😎 😎  Thanks for being my friend… 😎

Honesty can potentially harm your relationship 😢

[John Jones]

#66241

21 years…. Yup… I am still celebrating!!!!  I did it… I ran this business for 21 years,raised an awesome family, built a shit load of awesome Volkswagens!!!  Made a lot of friends, pissed a few off but all in all…. It’s been a great time… 😎  I made the hot ass threk out to the classic with my whole family MANY MANY times…  I did octo’s, shasta’s, and all kinds of fucking road trips… I supported the Volkswagen industry with 100% effort!!! I sponsored some big ass shows, and built plenty of show cars for em… 😎

I just gotta keep a lid on it now… 😎  tight mother fucker too… 😎

I always thought and hoped I would sell my business one day… Lock stock and barrel, parts, house and all!!!  but… with the value of property these days… I think my dirt has well exceeded all my expectations.. and now.. I’m probably just waiting on corporate america to buy me out and bulldoze all of it for some condo’s!!!  😎  😎  not what I dreamed of.. but looking more and more likely these days…. 😎 I have a well oiled machine right here.. and plenty of work for an ambitious young VW enthusiasts..  😎  I think I could piddle for the rest of my life and be fine.. So that sounds pretty good to me.. 😎

 

I guess I wanted to sell it… I did get it tattoo’ed all over me… 😎  I had a lawyer tell me one time..  That if I don’t eventually sell my business, all I did was create a job for myself for over 20 years..  Then I just quit???   But the big payout is selling that brand, selling that product, being able to retire off of it…     I don’t have any 401K’s..no family wealth to distribute,  No stocks, no bonds, no other investments… My parents don’t even talk to me much less help me….  I Just got KCW…. and 7 city lots…. and about to buy another one.. 😎  because, I want to continue going forward in my life!!! 😎

Move my convex container over to the new lot and build a container house out of it?  Clean off the etra lots next door and sell them ?? that would be big ol chink of money… 😎

Honesty can potentially harm your relationship 😢

[John Jones]

#68087

I had the biggest compliment ever this past weekend…

The son of a former customer on his way to ASU, from I think maybe wisconsin or something.. stopped on his way through to meet me and tell me Thank you for building that bus for his dad and helping give him all those awesome childhood memories.. His dad still loves and enjoys the bus!!!! His girl friend was with him and said the same about getting to ride and hang out with him in the bus… 😎  It was awesome… 😎

The bus is Gregg Emfield… Probably 15 years ago.  !!!  The kid was 18 I assume.. 😎  The green and white bus, came painted, needed assembled..  I don’t have a pic to show you…. anyway… very cool.

 

Honesty can potentially harm your relationship 😢

[Pat K]

#68091

I thought I almost saw a tear in your eye…😜😜Congrats that had to feel AWESOME!!!

We will build it if it comes.

[JasonS]

#68093

That is awesome! What a cool story, memories is all we take with us in the end! That is so cool to be a part of their story, I am sure there are many more from your past customers.

[Pete]

#68094

That’s really cool; that kid doesn’t know life without that bus.  Is it this one?

https://kustomcoachwerks.com/gallery/?lpage=5&guid=type-2.gregs-21.5a47da6c.file&gpage=1

[lator]

#68097

Congratulation on 21 years!

In addition to all the hard work, the whole KCW “Experience” is such a great idea.  Utilizing internet forums to bring us along on all those builds was a gamechanger.  I have learned so much over the years and am really thankful.   Best wishes on the next 21.

https://www.instagram.com/jefflator/

[John Jones]

#68115

Pete wrote:

That’s really cool; that kid doesn’t know life without that bus. Is it this one? https://kustomcoachwerks.com/gallery/?lpage=5&guid=type-2.gregs-21.5a47da6c.file&gpage=1

thats it!!!

Honesty can potentially harm your relationship 😢

[John Jones]

#68116

lator wrote:

Congratulation on 21 years! In addition to all the hard work, the whole KCW “Experience” is such a great idea. Utilizing internet forums to bring us along on all those builds was a gamechanger. I have learned so much over the years and am really thankful. Best wishes on the next 21.

Thanks.. it’s been a good run!!!   All that stuff makes me smile!

 

Honesty can potentially harm your relationship 😢

[Vwfool]

#68128

You have kicked a lot of ass. Built some crazy rides along the way too.
I can’t thank you enough for all the years, even pre-KCW days when I would call with some dumb ass question how you did something or I would pick Franz’s brain.
Plus you built two of the most badass Single Cabs on the planet for me.
I am grateful for all that you have done for me over the years.   You’re a damn good friend

 

[Author]

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