April 1, 2025 • 40 mins
Click here to tell us about your favorite car, car story or automotive trivia !
Step into the automotive universe of air‑cooled Volkswagen legends with Guinevere of Freccia Brothers. From her first car—a Tropicana Orange Karmann Ghia—to current rides like Lily the 1963 Beetle and Gadget the 1987 Cabriolet, she shares family memories and classic cars nostalgia. Located on Greenwich’s dealership row, Freccia Brothers blends vintage craftsmanship with modern vehicle restoration, specializing in VW, Porsche, and Corvair auto body work. Discover restoration stories filled with car trivia—from flood‑damaged dune buggies to convertible top replacements—and experience the tight‑knit camaraderie of automotive enthusiasts. Whether swapping rotary phones for digital tools or preserving carbon copy receipts, their century‑long legacy celebrates vehicle stories, beloved cars, and the enduring allure of automotive history. Connect to their passion at https://linktr.ee/FrecciaBrothers and join the ride.
New episodes drop every other Tuesday. Please Follow, Like, and Subscribe to be the first to hear our latest content and past episodes - https://linktr.ee/carsloved
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome back planet Earth, united States, northeast,
southeast, to All the Cars I'veLoved Before, your podcast,
where every car tells a storyand we talk about life lessons
through cars.
Because, guess what?
We are where automotive historyand American history meet your
history, your family's history.
We're going to get into, withour very special guest today, a
(00:27):
situation where automobiles areher family's business, her
bloodline, going back over acentury.
And before we get into that,let's, let's, a little bit of
housekeeping.
How you doing over there,partner?
How's the audio?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Audio sounds good.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Sounded good.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah, we had yep, no, I was gonna say, the network
plumber aka me was having uhnetwork problems for once yeah
for once, it wasn't you so younever.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
That's true, thank goodness.
You never hear about the guyson smart lists or mark maron
having any of these technicaldifficulties.
But you know what listener landthey do.
They have them they gottafigure it out.
We have this product to put onthe air.
We work hard for you to come upwith great guests, great
stories, etc.
Etc.
So we're just going to kind ofroll with it.
I'll let you know if you'reglitching or having any problems
(01:19):
.
But um, like doug said for once, hey, so what is that
background?
That's the Golden Gate Bridge,correct?
It is?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It is Zoom, selected it for me, but I think you and I
walked across it, didn't we?
Or at least three quarters ofit.
Yeah, yeah In 2017.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
It was a while ago.
Yeah, doug and I have knowneach other for quite a while and
he used to be one of theseWould you call yourself a road
warrior in prior jobs.
You would just kind ofcrisscross the nation for his
jet set, glitzy, high tech gigand he'd always say to me hey
man, I'm going to be here for aweekend.
You want to come here?
Hey man, I'm going to be herethere.
That was a great trip, though Ido remember that trip because I
(02:02):
flew into San Jose, rented thecar first.
This was in, I'm going to say,april, april or May of 2017.
I got into San Jose.
I think it was actuallyFebruary.
Oh, you might be right.
You might be right, we were outthere.
San Jose, by the way, isbeautiful.
I'd never been there therebefore.
(02:23):
You come out of the san joseairport and it's just.
You know most airports you comeout of and you're some in in
some industrial warehousedistrict.
Absolutely no fun to be in sanjose.
You, you look one way in, themountains are right there and I
said, oh, I want to be a mouse.
I just drove up into themountains and just drove around
in circles until your flightcame in a few hours later.
(02:46):
What happened after that?
We went to like the intelmuseum out there we did.
We went to the intel museum, wewent to the jelly belly museum
jelly belly museum was great,except the weather was terrible,
the traffic was terrible and itclosed.
And it closed it was, it wasraining and I was so angry at
(03:09):
you because you made us late.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
We missed the last tour by five minutes, so you
know, all we got to do wasexperience the gift shop well,
and I was angry at you for beingangry at me, so I did a 180 in
the parking lot in reverse inour rented mustang, which, yeah,
seemed to be entertaining toyou, I think yeah, maybe we're
(03:33):
terrible travel partners.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Have you ever thought of that?
Uh, could be, could be, it'spossible.
Yeah, here we are to tell thetale.
Do you remember the car that werented?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
of course, it was probably a 2016, 2017 mustang
yeah, uh, v6 had some, had someguts, it was red and we got that
awesome picture in the hills ofsan francisco where the that uh
house from uh god been in.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Oh, they call them the painted ladies, I think the
painted ladies.
Yeah, and it's, it's thesebeautiful townhomes, 10 million
dollar townhomes.
You know 1300 square feet rightbehind us.
That was a great picture at wewe, we did a lot of walking.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
We went to the uh, not to go too far.
We went to the um, what was,was it?
We went to Alcatraz, which wasawesome.
That was so amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
And so we were talking about Alcatraz and I
told him, I told uh, I told himabout the funny stunt where we
went on the last tour of the dayand I tried to lock you in one
of the uh, in one of the cells,but yeah, fortunately I got out.
Yeah yeah, just like ShawshankRedemption Not to uh, not to and
I will say that Mustang do nothandle well in the rain.
Do not handle well in the rain.
Do not handle well in the rain.
(05:05):
Be very careful.
Rear-wheel Pontiacs also thesame.
Don't ask me how I know.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
I would also say thank God that car was automatic
, because I could not imaginedriving stick shift in San
Francisco.
Oh my God, 20 feet stop.
I could barely see over thehood.
20 feet stop yeah, brutal,brutal.
20 feet stop.
I could barely see over thehood 20 feet stop.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Yeah, brutal, yeah, brutal.
Talk about rolling back, butenough about me, let's talk
about you.
What do you think about me?
No, we have a great guest toget to today.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah.
And so excited Another friendof a friend of the show.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
We cannot get enough of these wonderful people we
meet.
And who's going to introduceher?
Are we going to fight overourselves to introduce this
wonderful guest, or what Well,uh-oh are you freezing or am I
freezing?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
No, no, I'm here, I'm going to let you do it.
All right, so I'm going to letyou handle it.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Yeah Well, guinevere came to us by way of James, who
has really been a master socialnetworker for us for the show,
with bringing us interestingJames McRae.
James McRae, and I don't knowhow he knows so many wonderful
giving people, but that is howGuinevere has been brought to
(06:19):
our doorstep.
How are you, Guinevere?
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Hi guys, thanks for having me tonight.
Thank you, I'm doing well.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Fantastic Doing well Fantastic.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
And we are reaching you from the wilds of
Connecticut, the wilds ofGreenwich.
Yeah, yeah, right Now.
How?
Did you?
Let me ask, if I may, how youcame to know James and then how
did he approach you to be on ourshow?
Speaker 3 (06:45):
I met James a few months ago this spring I
actually went to school tobecome a fine art photographer
and the Malcolm Prey AchievementCenter, which is a car
collection in Bedford, new York.
They're right on the line.
So they bring kids down fromtech classes and they do
(07:08):
everything from how a car runsto how to winterize a car to
just basic car facts.
Me and my dad have gone up toNewburgh before to do history of
cars and they had carsthroughout the decades, so this
time it just happened to be aphotography class and so james
and I were both there as mentors.
(07:30):
I happened to bring a car andteach one of the groups
wonderful, okay, okay.
And then and then he juststarted telling me about the
podcast Nice.
Nice, nice, sorry.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
And I interrupted.
But I had to ask and this willmaybe be a good lead in Was that
car a Bolt?
Sorry, Was that car a Toyota?
Was it a Honda?
Was it a Datsun?
What kind of car was it thatyou brought up there?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
It was a Volkswagen that you brought up there.
It was a volkswagen um, thatday it was actually a
water-cooled volkswagen becauseit was raining and lily doesn't
come out in the rain, and it waspretty.
It was a pretty crappy day, butphotography is better when it's
cloudy so but I did bring thewater-cooled car that day, so it
was a 1987 triple whitecabriolet with snowflake rims.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Snowflake.
What does that mean?
What does snowflake rims mean?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Oh, it has like the five spokes I never that's
pretty neat.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
That is very neat, and so, and so he mentioned to
you that he'd been on thispodcast, or or he mentioned that
there was a podcast.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
He mentioned there was a podcast.
I can't remember if he saidhe'd been on it, but he said it
was super cool.
It was about you know peoplethat people that love their cars
and have great stories.
And he said I can just tell youcan talk about all your cars.
You name all your cars.
So he said I think you'll be agood fit.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
We owe that guy a cookie.
We really do All the greatpeople that traverse our virtual
conference room here.
So I have to tell you that,okay, we're going to see that a
theme will persist through thisdiscussion on VWs, and I have to
tell you, I think your firstcar is just the neatest first
(09:27):
car.
I've never owned one, but Iwould love to hear about your
first car.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
My first car I got before I was even 16.
My dad, my dad my dad and mygrandfather got me a 1973
Volkswagen Karmann Ghia and itwas Tropicana Orange and my
parents both tried to teach meto drive.
I remember being in an officepark down the street from my
(09:56):
house and there's like there'sall these duck ponds in the
middle and there's beautifulflowers and my mom's teaching me
to drive and my little sister'sin the back seat and I just
remember stalling so bad and mysister hitting the back of my
seat.
I was so stressed out and like Iwas just like oh my God, I
can't do this, I can't drivestick and I don't think I drove
(10:19):
that car once I turned 16.
They kept trying to teach me,but eventually I sold it, which
I forever regret.
Now I mean I even love, love,love that it was Tropicana
Orange now, yeah, I think.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
I'm going to have to hold a secondhand grudge with
you and against you.
Think, if you had that now Iwas when we were prepping and
reading these show notes, dougand I were chatting about you
before we even met you on theshow.
The last Carmenghi I saw was ina Walmart parking lot, I'm
(10:54):
going to say a couple of yearsor so ago, and the feelings of
nostalgia, the waves of it issuch a beautiful machine.
Waves of it is such a beautifulmachine.
And this one was, I'm justgonna say, um, white.
I mean, it just is beautiful.
I don't think it waspearlescent or anything, but
(11:14):
just this beautiful white paintjob.
And uh, just buffed to thishigh gloss.
And when he drove away your jawhit the ground.
They just make the neatestsound, uh, revving and pulling
away.
So you said you called itTropicana Orange, and did you
make that up or was?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
that on the oh.
I made that up at 15 years old.
That was, I don't know.
I don't know, actually, I'venever investigated what
Volkswagen color it was, but inmy teenage self it was Tropicana
orange.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
The Germans the no-nonsense.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Germans probably didn't have the clever, cute,
quirky color nicknames that allwe Americans are fond of.
Okay, so you sold it.
What happened to that car?
You put cash in your hand or inyour folks hand and it just
kind of that car just kind ofwalked away.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Yeah, I, that one didn't didn't stay around.
Um then I got a 1989 Cabrioletdark blue, I think.
It had a gray top at thebeginning, and I came home from
high school one day and therewas like a big pink bow on it.
Like you, see in a carcommercial and my dad had gotten
(12:30):
a big car bow and put it onthis car and I guess I could
like kind of drive.
At that point I think I had mylicense.
I didn't get my license until Iwas 18.
I have a bunch of youngersiblings so and I wasn't really
looking forward to driving.
But eventually I got it.
I got the cabriolet and it'dbeen in someone's garage forever
(12:52):
.
So I put the top down.
I'm like cruising aroundGreenwich Avenue, going out with
my friends, and I finally go toput the top up.
I'm at home, my dad is standingright there and there this was.
There's no electronics.
So you to like right, unclipthe buttons and then you know,
wiggle it and make sure they'reloose and you go up behind it.
You know, like do the squat andthen the full body press, and I
(13:16):
just hear the biggest rip as itcomes, oh, laying down, because
the top was so dry, rotted, itjust split.
So she got a new top and I wentto school in Boston.
So for the next two years I wason the T and then, yeah, my
(13:36):
final two years I had the car upthere a lot and it was.
It was nice to have a littlecar because I could find parking
, or I remember.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
Oh, in Boston for sure.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
One year I just parked on my friend's lawn and
no one said anything.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
So now let's talk about the top for a minute.
Do you remember, do you?
Where did you source thereplacement top?
Or did you just bring it to adealership?
Or did your dad just say, hey,I have 10 of these shoved in the
back of my closet.
How did you source the top forthat car?
Speaker 3 (14:08):
at that time.
I mean, we still don't have acomputer to this day, so at that
time, it was my dad probablymaking a lot of phone calls we
had.
We have an upholsterer we workwith but, um, my dad did the top
on my most recent cabriolet, soit's always good old dad.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Yeah, good old dad, so do y'all.
Okay, and I guess we'll getinto the family business here.
So much to chat about.
We'll get into the familybusiness here and we can
actually start chatting aboutthat now.
So it.
So do you do restoration workin the family business?
I guess would be a secondaryquestion, but primarily let's
(14:51):
back into what sort of businessis your family known for and
what business did you grow uparound?
Speaker 3 (15:09):
specialists kind of of the tri-state area and beyond
.
Um.
I grew up in the garage.
I grew up there after schoolsweeping floors, picking up
nails so tamp tires wouldn't getdamaged.
You know shoveling snow, soit's been my whole life.
The shop is 102 years old yeahso I grew up with the knowing
the original risha brothers.
It was started by them andtheir parents, but they were
(15:31):
around for a little bit of myearly life and my great, great
aunt, who also ran the businessUm, she was around.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Gotcha, may I share the website here, is that okay?
Yeah, yeah Okay.
I know Doug is itching to getin here partner, but let me just
.
Let me just share.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Let me just share this site uh, it's pronounced
freesia, f-r-e-c-c-i-abrotherscom.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
I'll give that to you again and if you're listening,
uh, you can get it on the shownotes here.
But F-R-E-C-C-I-A Brotherscom,frishabrotherscom.
And if you go to this website,I love and this is your
fingerprints all over itGuinevere.
I can tell this beautiful blackand white photo and it's got a
(16:23):
little Carmen Ghia there with acouple of, uh, beetles off to
the side and it looks like somejacked up dune buggy thing ready
to go just hit the sand yes,the baha the baha bug all right.
Well, I need to just step backand be quiet, because I know
doug has a million questionshere you're, you're fine, you're
fine, um, but yeah, there, Imean, there's some great car
(16:46):
stories here.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
So you mentioned, 102 years old, the family business.
It didn't start doingVolkswagen repair just based on
the timeline, but what did thefamily start doing?
Speaker 3 (17:00):
We started out as painting horse-drawn carriages
and, you know, became one of thefirst, first dealers.
We have a very low dealer platenumber.
The post road I think was, Ibelieve was a dirt road back
then.
Um, we're right on dealershiprow, so porsche's, across from
us there's maserati, lamborghini, audi, and our door front is
(17:25):
kind of like wonky compared toeveryone else, but our door, our
garage door, points true north,which I think is pretty cool,
very cool.
And so, yeah, horse-drawncarriages.
Eventually, over the times theyevolved, they became car dealers
, repairs, and my dad told methe story of, and heard my my.
(17:49):
You know the elders told me thestories.
You know we used to sit at thegarage door.
We used to sit at the garagedoor and wait for a car to break
down and we run out there, youbring it back into the shop and
you fix it up and in I believeit's the 50s, um the prey, the
blanchard prey dealership openedand by the 60s, the Blanchard
Prey dealership opened and bythe 60s people were bringing us
(18:11):
Volkswagens.
We were doing restorations, wewere doing repairs.
So we were kind of always knownfor Volkswagens.
If people left town and cameback, they'd give us a call and
then throughout time, they werejust doing Toyotas, datsuns, uh,
hondas.
You know you're, you're, theywere just regular mechanics.
But, um, I went to school inBoston for fine art photography
(18:36):
and I came back in 2012 and youknow, there, was no computer,
there was still a rotary phoneand I said, come on, like let's,
let's go strict.
Specialty.
Like it'll be fun, like wedon't have to keep up with be
fun.
Like we don't have to keep upwith the computers, we don't
have to keep up with these crazypanels and the electronics.
Like the volkswagen's theeasiest car to work on.
They're super cute.
Like, come on, people love them.
(18:57):
And it wasn't until, I think,2014, I was allowed to create a
website by my grandfather and itwas so basic it was.
It was just our name, ouraddress, the hours and the phone
number.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
But it was your, yeah , your stake in the ground.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Yeah, yeah, yep.
And now and now you have notonly the website, you have a
Facebook page.
We're going to put that on ourshow notes, as well as Instagram
.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Facebook, instagram, a voicemail a push button phone.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Maybe a push button phone.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
I do my dad, I do he.
His one request was I'd stilllike to write everything out on
carbon copy paper.
So we, we do keep that, whichis very pretty yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
I just mentioned.
To somebody the other day.
I said you know, some peopleare just analog people in a
digital world and if that's whatyou're used to and that's what
works, what works, stay with it.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Keep the history going Agreed.
So yeah, so just sort of byhappenstance, right the shop was
there, all these car dealers infront of it, and they started
doing car repair, right it wasjust kind of perfectly located.
Right, it was just all thestars aligned yeah, the door,
(20:25):
the, the garage door, pointedtrue north, and that's what we
did, right that is so awesomeand fast forward still family
business, I believe you told usyour, your father's, still
involved.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Your husband works there as well looped my husband
in um okay, not, not their fulltime, but you know, on snow day,
on snow days everyone comesdown and helps, and then awesome
there.
You know, they're alwayswearing the t-shirts, they're
always leaving business cards oncars if they pass by.
They're always taking pictures.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
I mean, it's, it is a family affair, yep and that is
so great and they kept it right.
They kept it going and, withyour help, right.
They focused on volkswagens, I,I believe, some porsches and,
uh, chevrolet corvairs.
Right, keep it there, keepingit air cool yeah, we kept it air
(21:20):
cooled.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
So it's, you know, 90 volkswagen.
And then we do get the porsche,the corvair specialist the van
the corvair vans are cool, butvolkswagen in they are in.
My grandfather passed away in2018 and he had put a volks a
1963 volkswagen beetle away inthe 80s and I took her out in
(21:42):
2019 and started showing her,and that's when I really got
involved.
well, first I saw I saw LilyPray speak at the Pray Center
and I mean, there was never achoice in my heart.
I was always keeping the shopgoing.
That's what I was mentored todo my whole life.
It's what I was expected to do,but it's what I wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Even better.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I always thought, like when I went to college, kat
Von D was big.
I always thought I was going tobe like the Kat Von D of
Volkswagens.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
I wanted to learn to pinstripe.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
I have no drawing talent at all, so I just put,
you know, my photography, mymarketing.
I put what I knew how to do touse, but I saw.
Lily Price speak and I wenthome.
Eventually my little gray bugcame out of storage and I said
I'm going to name her Lily.
(22:33):
And then, another year later,lily the person has become a
very good friend, my life mentor, and I said you know, before
anyone else tells you, I said mycar's name is Lily and we've
just been the best of friendssince.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Fantastic, and you so , in your position at Fresh
Young Brothers, you do all themarketing and media right.
So you've taken that yourcollege trade.
You will, and and uh made thatpart of the business right, kind
(23:12):
of uh painted the business inyour, in your color, so to speak
.
And uh, you tell us what you dowith that?
Um, sounds like you do travel,you do some special events.
Um, we, you do some um, uh,pardon me, some uh fundraising
and whatnot, and we're going toput all this on our uh show
(23:33):
notes.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
But if, if you don't mind, indulge, yeah um I, so I
started showing in 2021 was myfirst show and that was with
turtle garage, and I believethat does sponsor the.
It does fundraise for the PreyCenter, which is a car
collection left by Malcolm Prey,and they do take in kids from
(23:58):
technical schools and mentorthem and help them find jobs and
they're really big on keepingthe car culture alive and we are
.
That's where I met James.
It's nice to meet, like some ofthe younger generation, and see
what's going on, and I do.
I do travel a lot, I guess,around, like in right now it's
(24:21):
it's, you know, it's Connecticut, massachusetts.
I was trying to go to all drainsthis past week but the small
car co had their big show so Ihad to be here for my volkswagen
pupil.
But I'm I'm at the point in myautomotive career where I'm
trying to go out a littlefurther, so I'm thinking maybe a
(24:42):
miami show this year, amelia,and then eventually I'll get out
to Pebble Beach.
There is a cool concourse atLime Rock Park.
I'm really looking forward tonext year.
Unfortunately, I didn't make itthis year.
I was supposed to, but lifehappens.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Wait a minute, I have a great idea.
I have a great idea.
Sorry to interrupt.
It's a great idea.
We have to have a Pebble Beachto all the cars.
I've loved before rally withall the listeners and guests.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Let's do it, let's make it happen.
What do you think?
Yeah, you guys have a virtualgarage.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Yeah, yes, All right, Guinevere, you are our chief
marketing officer.
I think you didn't ask for thejob.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
You just got hired.
I dig it hey but there's stillsome.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Doug, did you have more?
Can I hop in here real quick?
Speaker 2 (25:36):
No Hop in.
I do have some air-cooledquestions Air-cooled love, all
right.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Well, here I do want to bring this in, please, before
we go further, let's talk aboutthe Cabrio.
You mentioned the Cabrio, butone thing I had to get to before
time spins away from us is nowyour second car is a 1989 Cabrio
, correct?
But your daily driver is an 87Cabrio and your other daily
(26:05):
driver, it's two, is a 1963Beetle.
So how do you choose which todecide in any given day and
compare the second car, thatCabrio, with the Cabrio you own
now?
Speaker 3 (26:20):
the cabriolet I own now.
I actually named her Gadget.
The first one was Jessica, thenew one is Gadget because she's
automatic and I think she had aradio which I never had in
anything else, so I just feltlike it was so high tech which
I'm very of course compared to asuper car.
(26:40):
It's nothing, but it makes mehappy, so that's all that
matters.
And then I have the 1963 BeetleLily, which she does not have a
radio, but I do love drivingher backcountry.
And people ask me all the timedo you play your phone?
I said no, I kind of just likethe quiet and the digital detox,
and especially now it's NewEngland and it it's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
You are a walking vw commercial.
I can just envision, at dusk,the leaves trailing behind and
you're just on curvy mountainroads.
I see it all right, doug.
Sorry back to you back to youwith the air called the
air-cooled interrogation.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Air-cooled culture.
So some people with air-cooledcars they don't want a radio,
right, because you have thatbeautiful sound.
Yeah the chirp, yep the chirp.
So maybe you could tell us allthe benefits of air-cooled right
?
What gets people, what keepsthem happy smiling about
(27:47):
air-cooled right?
What?
Speaker 3 (27:47):
gets people what keeps?
Speaker 2 (27:48):
them happy smiling about air-cooled right?
Good question, and yeah, whyit's so?
We know it's nostalgic, right,but there are some other good
attributes of air-cooled engines.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Yeah, I mean, we'll go off nostalgia first Everyone
has a.
Volkswagen story, rightkswagenstory.
Um, right now the the cabrioletis having a hot moment because
they're back.
So I was driving that around alot before without getting
stopped.
Now I'm getting stopped all thetime, with people talking to me
.
But I if I, if I take out lilythe bug, I always plan like an
(28:22):
extra 30 minutes to an hour todo my errands because I know I'm
going to hear at least like twoor three Volkswagen stories and
I want to hear them.
So, like someone walks up to methey say I have Volkswagen,
Like I'm already invested inyour story.
But yeah, they've stayed aroundlike no other car has stayed
(28:43):
around before.
People have hoarded them.
They've hoarded their parts.
My dad was telling me how thereused to be like strictly
Volkswagen, like displays andCaldors and, I think, Sears,
which you've never seen foranother car brand.
But they're the simplest carsto work on.
(29:05):
They were specifically createdthat way.
They were specifically createdto be very efficient.
One of my favorite Volkswagenads.
I mean, I probably gravitate toit more because we're in New
England and I remember my dadhaving, if you have a small
business, you're working 24seven.
(29:26):
So there was times it wouldsnow and my dad would be, you
know, out snow plowing.
But there's that old ad howdoes the snow plow driver get to
work?
And it's the little picture ofthe Volkswagen.
So the engine's in the back butmy personal rule is I'll drive
(29:47):
them all fall, winter and newand grown until the salt comes
down.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
That's right.
Look out for that salt.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
You got to watch out for that salt and then they go
away.
But that leads back to theother question.
There's no water in them,there's no antifreeze.
You know, you don't really haveto winterize them, just make
sure.
I say, you know, give them agood spa day and put them away.
Yeah, soothing spa music.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Okay, our research I got to get a couple things in
here real quick.
Research department we havedozens of analysts on staff that
help us get through any givenshow and of them, just uh, all
automotive experts.
One of them got uh handed me anote here a folded up cocktail
napkin that said tropicanaorange is actually signal orange
.
That was the official name.
(30:36):
So now you know, and doug has alittle bw story to tell.
Before guine, we'd like to hearabout your 914 dreams and then
we'll head the show gentlytoward the end.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
914 dreams.
Yeah, so my very quick story,and I wish I could remember the
year.
Had to be maybe post-highschool, but I wish I could
remember the year of the car.
I love convertibles.
Um, in fact, I think the firstconvertible I ever went for a
(31:10):
ride in, or or one of the first,was a volkswagen bug
convertible.
And I have to tell a sillystory.
I was hung over and I gottatell you that family story,
family show feels so good I wasdehydrated and the fresh air
made me feel so good and uh thatthat story just stick.
And it was a yellow, it was ayellow book convertible bug, but
(31:33):
I wanted to buy.
I want to say it was a 60sconvertible bug and my dad was
my mentor.
Slash, I had no mechanicalskills and we found one.
It and it had the the uh floorfloor plant floor pans replaced.
It would run and my dad talkedme out of it and he said I don't
(31:57):
know anything about volkswagensand, thinking forward, I like
they're the simplest cars in theworld.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
He just didn't want to buy you a car.
He just didn't want to dealwith you on that day.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Well, I was going to pay for it, but he knew he would
get trapped into helping meExactly.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
I guess he wasn't up for it at that time.
Man and I won't even start withmy stories, and Listenerland
knows all about my 1984 VWRabbit GTI.
That car was a trip, and then Iwas sitting around with my kids
last night we were watchingBlack Sheep with Chris Farley
and David Spade Great movie andduring a commercial break I just
(32:43):
started thinking about that car.
I think I was talking.
Oh no, in the early part of thefilm there's a rabbit on the
side of the road and I paused itand I said to my kids look at
that.
I had an 84 VW Rabbit GTI andthey were like, oh, that's
interesting, but it doesn't looklike much.
And so I immediately pull outthe phone and look online and I
(33:05):
find just something.
It was probably on Bring, aTrailer that sold recently for
like $35,000.
And it's just this pristine.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
It was pristine in the same.
What was the sunset?
Speaker 2 (33:20):
or something.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Yes, it had white with the Airdam with a little
red GTI in the front and theyhad the blue cloth with the red
in the middle, like it was mycar to a.
T and I fired it off to Dougand my kids all in a text thread
and I said this is it, this ismy history.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Okay, I said I wasn't going to talk about it but I
did.
All right, we got to pick it to.
Everybody has, but everybodyhas a Volkswagen story.
I know, I know.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Whenever I'm watching a movie I mean I just saw on my
time hop two nights ago.
I watched Willy Wonka last year, the original one.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
If there's a Volkswagen in it.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
I will screenshot it, post it on my social media.
But when I was little I watchedHerbie.
I mean he was so real to me, Iwanted him, I mean he was so
real to me I wanted him.
And the day I went to my dad'sshop and there was three
Herbie's parked out front, itwas like someone told me Santa
Claus wasn't real.
I was like why are three ofthem here?
(34:15):
Like what is this?
Speaker 2 (34:16):
But why aren't they talking?
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Why isn't?
Speaker 2 (34:23):
the hood flapping.
Yeah, I mean, that's such acool story.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
I do want to get in here, all right.
So back to the.
We're all over the place here,but we're so excited I want to
get back to the company'swebsite.
So, as you were talking aboutwhat your family's business does
again freeshabrotherscomF-R-E-C-C-I-A brotherscom.
You go to freeshabrotherscomservices and this is what I was
(34:49):
going to ask you early, but bythe magic of the internet I was
able to answer the question fromthis lovely website you've put
together so full service repairsand restorations, air-cooled
specialists, which you know,fuel injection specialists,
semi-automatic experts, allmechanicals, including right all
the way around the car, brakes,clutch, exhaust tune ups,
engine repairs and rebuilds, etcetera.
(35:10):
And I love how, at the bottomwell, close to the bottom other
services rust repair and floorreplacement.
And then it says convertibletops and interior works.
That's exactly what you weretalking about.
So if anybody in listener landhas an old VW, you don't know
what to do with the top, justbring it to them.
Just bring it to themConvertible tops and interior
(35:31):
work, like you were saying, theupholstery, glass and rubber,
electrical work.
And then across the very bottom, it says thinking about a
custom project, give us a call.
And I love that.
So it's very open-ended.
I mean your, your company isfearless.
I just love it.
Speaker 3 (35:48):
I mean we just, we just want to keep them on the
road, Just want to make peoplehappy.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Yeah, I mean we had.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
We had a crazy flood here two Septembers ago and I
remember rescheduling everythingI had in the shop because, two
I believe it was a dune buggy, Ibelieve it was a candy apple
red dune buggy with extra flakein the paint which had just been
painted, and a silver, a silverconvertible bug.
Two two separate owners.
(36:17):
They were completely flooded,completely submerged in water.
We had to have them in the shopwithin 24 hours to rinse them
in fresh water and we took apartevery single piece.
It was the biggest puzzle Ihave ever assisted on in my
entire life wow wow so why yeah?
Speaker 2 (36:41):
go ahead.
No, I was gonna say I I hate todo the delorean plug.
I saw a picture of a deloreanthat got caught in the uh, one
of the storms down south.
Of course they're not gonnatotal it right, it's, it's
already in delorean of floridaand they're gonna take it apart
and clean it up there you gotogether, piece of history, just
(37:03):
like the dream like the boltseconds, keep the dream alive.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
You got it all right.
Doug doug wanted to mention oneor two more things before we
close out here oh, I think, Ithink I'm gonna limit it to one.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Okay, so, uh, your dream car christian hinted at it
.
Guinevere, what is it and tellus why?
Speaker 3 (37:25):
oh yeah, I've been on a 914 kick recently my 914 1973
my dad has a little black 914and I've been driving past one.
There's a different shop acrosstown and there's a white one,
and I know this.
A lady owns it and I just keepwatching it, but I'm on a 940.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
I'm on a 914 kick it matches my white cabriolet and
yeah, me and my dad, me and mydad went cruising right before
this and it's just a cute littlezippy car yeah, yeah, it's such
a, it's such a neat car, rightit's, it's a Volkswagen slash
Porsche collaboration, right.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
Yeah, and the engine's right in the middle, so
you can have the front and theback open and it'll be on the
sidewalk in front of our shopand people are looking at it
like where is the engine, butit's fun.
It definitely moves.
Much different than the 63 Bug.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Yeah, definitely moves much different than the 63
buck.
Yeah, and, and my recollectionis the 914 somewhat.
No, it was the 912.
I'm sorry, I was going to saytook the place of the 356
because it was cheaper, but thatwas the 912.
Sorry about that, caught myself.
My automotive trivia, um, andthe one, the one volkswagen we
didn't talk about was thevolkswagen bus, and I don't know
(38:47):
if you're a bus person.
I think we have to save it foranother episode.
I know our listeners will wantto talk about a volkswagen bus
till they will have my dad.
We'll have my dad okay and coverthat with you guys.
Yes, can we have?
Yes, father daughter, perfect.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
Yeah, we'll come back .
Speaker 2 (39:04):
Yeah, we've had, we've had husband, wife, we've
had father, son, father, we'vewe've had, just, uh, um, would
he do it?
Yeah, I think so.
Yeah, we did.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
We did a podcast last week for the history of
Greenwich, so yeah, Okay, thatawesome.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
Oh, we have, we want that, I feel like we could
easily talk for another hour.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
So we have to get him on here.
I hear Guinevere's dinner bellgoing off in the background, so
I think we've got to let her go.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
She's got to eat at some point.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Doug, did we get to all our hard news hitting
questions for Guinevere?
We did.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
We did, we did and the best part is I can't wait
for the family connection.
Thank you to James forconnecting us with Guinevere.
Guinevere, we'd like to assumeyou're another friend of the
show and you just give usanother referral to a sounds
like a great man, your dad, andI'm looking forward to the
(40:05):
father-daughter event.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Yeah, you know.
Thank you for having me.
I'm so glad James recommendedthis and I've really loved
listening to the show these pastcouple of weeks to prepare.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
Yeah, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
Have a good evening guys.
Great to meet you.
Thank you for being here andfor Listenerland.
You know how to get a hold ofus christian at carslovecom doug
, at carslovecom Guinevere.
You know how to get a hold ofher freeshabrotherscom.
Check them out, visit them nexttime you're in Greenwich with
your 914, your bus, your VWthing, and that is going to put
(40:41):
this episode in the books.
Doug, how did we do?
Are we done?
Did we get to it all?
We did it.
We did it partner.
Fantastic, everybody.
Have a great week.
We'll see you next week.
Welcome back planet Earth, united States, northeast,
southeast, to All the Cars I'veLoved Before, your podcast,
where every car tells a storyand we talk about life lessons
through cars.
Because, guess what?
We are where automotive historyand American history meet your
history, your family's history.
We're going to get into, withour very special guest today, a
(00:27):
situation where automobiles areher family's business, her
bloodline, going back over acentury.
And before we get into that,let's, let's, a little bit of
housekeeping.
How you doing over there,partner?
How's the audio?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Audio sounds good.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Sounded good.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
Yeah, we had yep, no, I was gonna say, the network
plumber aka me was having uhnetwork problems for once yeah
for once, it wasn't you so younever.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
That's true, thank goodness.
You never hear about the guyson smart lists or mark maron
having any of these technicaldifficulties.
But you know what listener landthey do.
They have them they gottafigure it out.
We have this product to put onthe air.
We work hard for you to come upwith great guests, great
stories, etc.
Etc.
So we're just going to kind ofroll with it.
I'll let you know if you'reglitching or having any problems
(01:19):
.
But um, like doug said for once, hey, so what is that
background?
That's the Golden Gate Bridge,correct?
It is?
Speaker 2 (01:27):
It is Zoom, selected it for me, but I think you and I
walked across it, didn't we?
Or at least three quarters ofit.
Yeah, yeah In 2017.
Speaker 1 (01:38):
It was a while ago.
Yeah, doug and I have knowneach other for quite a while and
he used to be one of theseWould you call yourself a road
warrior in prior jobs.
You would just kind ofcrisscross the nation for his
jet set, glitzy, high tech gigand he'd always say to me hey
man, I'm going to be here for aweekend.
You want to come here?
Hey man, I'm going to be herethere.
That was a great trip, though Ido remember that trip because I
(02:02):
flew into San Jose, rented thecar first.
This was in, I'm going to say,april, april or May of 2017.
I got into San Jose.
I think it was actuallyFebruary.
Oh, you might be right.
You might be right, we were outthere.
San Jose, by the way, isbeautiful.
I'd never been there therebefore.
(02:23):
You come out of the san joseairport and it's just.
You know most airports you comeout of and you're some in in
some industrial warehousedistrict.
Absolutely no fun to be in sanjose.
You, you look one way in, themountains are right there and I
said, oh, I want to be a mouse.
I just drove up into themountains and just drove around
in circles until your flightcame in a few hours later.
(02:46):
What happened after that?
We went to like the intelmuseum out there we did.
We went to the intel museum, wewent to the jelly belly museum
jelly belly museum was great,except the weather was terrible,
the traffic was terrible and itclosed.
And it closed it was, it wasraining and I was so angry at
(03:09):
you because you made us late.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
We missed the last tour by five minutes, so you
know, all we got to do wasexperience the gift shop well,
and I was angry at you for beingangry at me, so I did a 180 in
the parking lot in reverse inour rented mustang, which, yeah,
seemed to be entertaining toyou, I think yeah, maybe we're
(03:33):
terrible travel partners.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
Have you ever thought of that?
Uh, could be, could be, it'spossible.
Yeah, here we are to tell thetale.
Do you remember the car that werented?
Speaker 2 (03:43):
of course, it was probably a 2016, 2017 mustang
yeah, uh, v6 had some, had someguts, it was red and we got that
awesome picture in the hills ofsan francisco where the that uh
house from uh god been in.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Oh, they call them the painted ladies, I think the
painted ladies.
Yeah, and it's, it's thesebeautiful townhomes, 10 million
dollar townhomes.
You know 1300 square feet rightbehind us.
That was a great picture at wewe, we did a lot of walking.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
We went to the uh, not to go too far.
We went to the um, what was,was it?
We went to Alcatraz, which wasawesome.
That was so amazing.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
And so we were talking about Alcatraz and I
told him, I told uh, I told himabout the funny stunt where we
went on the last tour of the dayand I tried to lock you in one
of the uh, in one of the cells,but yeah, fortunately I got out.
Yeah yeah, just like ShawshankRedemption Not to uh, not to and
I will say that Mustang do nothandle well in the rain.
Do not handle well in the rain.
Do not handle well in the rain.
(05:05):
Be very careful.
Rear-wheel Pontiacs also thesame.
Don't ask me how I know.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
I would also say thank God that car was automatic
, because I could not imaginedriving stick shift in San
Francisco.
Oh my God, 20 feet stop.
I could barely see over thehood.
20 feet stop yeah, brutal,brutal.
20 feet stop.
I could barely see over thehood 20 feet stop.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Yeah, brutal, yeah, brutal.
Talk about rolling back, butenough about me, let's talk
about you.
What do you think about me?
No, we have a great guest toget to today.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Yeah.
And so excited Another friendof a friend of the show.
Speaker 1 (05:35):
We cannot get enough of these wonderful people we
meet.
And who's going to introduceher?
Are we going to fight overourselves to introduce this
wonderful guest, or what Well,uh-oh are you freezing or am I
freezing?
Speaker 2 (05:52):
No, no, I'm here, I'm going to let you do it.
All right, so I'm going to letyou handle it.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Yeah Well, guinevere came to us by way of James, who
has really been a master socialnetworker for us for the show,
with bringing us interestingJames McRae.
James McRae, and I don't knowhow he knows so many wonderful
giving people, but that is howGuinevere has been brought to
(06:19):
our doorstep.
How are you, Guinevere?
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Hi guys, thanks for having me tonight.
Thank you, I'm doing well.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
Fantastic Doing well Fantastic.
Speaker 1 (06:27):
And we are reaching you from the wilds of
Connecticut, the wilds ofGreenwich.
Yeah, yeah, right Now.
How?
Did you?
Let me ask, if I may, how youcame to know James and then how
did he approach you to be on ourshow?
Speaker 3 (06:45):
I met James a few months ago this spring I
actually went to school tobecome a fine art photographer
and the Malcolm Prey AchievementCenter, which is a car
collection in Bedford, new York.
They're right on the line.
So they bring kids down fromtech classes and they do
(07:08):
everything from how a car runsto how to winterize a car to
just basic car facts.
Me and my dad have gone up toNewburgh before to do history of
cars and they had carsthroughout the decades, so this
time it just happened to be aphotography class and so james
and I were both there as mentors.
(07:30):
I happened to bring a car andteach one of the groups
wonderful, okay, okay.
And then and then he juststarted telling me about the
podcast Nice.
Nice, nice, sorry.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
And I interrupted.
But I had to ask and this willmaybe be a good lead in Was that
car a Bolt?
Sorry, Was that car a Toyota?
Was it a Honda?
Was it a Datsun?
What kind of car was it thatyou brought up there?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
It was a Volkswagen that you brought up there.
It was a volkswagen um, thatday it was actually a
water-cooled volkswagen becauseit was raining and lily doesn't
come out in the rain, and it waspretty.
It was a pretty crappy day, butphotography is better when it's
cloudy so but I did bring thewater-cooled car that day, so it
was a 1987 triple whitecabriolet with snowflake rims.
Speaker 1 (08:26):
Snowflake.
What does that mean?
What does snowflake rims mean?
Speaker 3 (08:29):
Oh, it has like the five spokes I never that's
pretty neat.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
That is very neat, and so, and so he mentioned to
you that he'd been on thispodcast, or or he mentioned that
there was a podcast.
Speaker 3 (08:45):
He mentioned there was a podcast.
I can't remember if he saidhe'd been on it, but he said it
was super cool.
It was about you know peoplethat people that love their cars
and have great stories.
And he said I can just tell youcan talk about all your cars.
You name all your cars.
So he said I think you'll be agood fit.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
We owe that guy a cookie.
We really do All the greatpeople that traverse our virtual
conference room here.
So I have to tell you that,okay, we're going to see that a
theme will persist through thisdiscussion on VWs, and I have to
tell you, I think your firstcar is just the neatest first
(09:27):
car.
I've never owned one, but Iwould love to hear about your
first car.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
My first car I got before I was even 16.
My dad, my dad my dad and mygrandfather got me a 1973
Volkswagen Karmann Ghia and itwas Tropicana Orange and my
parents both tried to teach meto drive.
I remember being in an officepark down the street from my
(09:56):
house and there's like there'sall these duck ponds in the
middle and there's beautifulflowers and my mom's teaching me
to drive and my little sister'sin the back seat and I just
remember stalling so bad and mysister hitting the back of my
seat.
I was so stressed out and like Iwas just like oh my God, I
can't do this, I can't drivestick and I don't think I drove
(10:19):
that car once I turned 16.
They kept trying to teach me,but eventually I sold it, which
I forever regret.
Now I mean I even love, love,love that it was Tropicana
Orange now, yeah, I think.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
I'm going to have to hold a secondhand grudge with
you and against you.
Think, if you had that now Iwas when we were prepping and
reading these show notes, dougand I were chatting about you
before we even met you on theshow.
The last Carmenghi I saw was ina Walmart parking lot, I'm
(10:54):
going to say a couple of yearsor so ago, and the feelings of
nostalgia, the waves of it issuch a beautiful machine.
Waves of it is such a beautifulmachine.
And this one was, I'm justgonna say, um, white.
I mean, it just is beautiful.
I don't think it waspearlescent or anything, but
(11:14):
just this beautiful white paintjob.
And uh, just buffed to thishigh gloss.
And when he drove away your jawhit the ground.
They just make the neatestsound, uh, revving and pulling
away.
So you said you called itTropicana Orange, and did you
make that up or was?
Speaker 3 (11:33):
that on the oh.
I made that up at 15 years old.
That was, I don't know.
I don't know, actually, I'venever investigated what
Volkswagen color it was, but inmy teenage self it was Tropicana
orange.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Yeah, I like that.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
The Germans the no-nonsense.
Speaker 1 (11:49):
Germans probably didn't have the clever, cute,
quirky color nicknames that allwe Americans are fond of.
Okay, so you sold it.
What happened to that car?
You put cash in your hand or inyour folks hand and it just
kind of that car just kind ofwalked away.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Yeah, I, that one didn't didn't stay around.
Um then I got a 1989 Cabrioletdark blue, I think.
It had a gray top at thebeginning, and I came home from
high school one day and therewas like a big pink bow on it.
Like you, see in a carcommercial and my dad had gotten
(12:30):
a big car bow and put it onthis car and I guess I could
like kind of drive.
At that point I think I had mylicense.
I didn't get my license until Iwas 18.
I have a bunch of youngersiblings so and I wasn't really
looking forward to driving.
But eventually I got it.
I got the cabriolet and it'dbeen in someone's garage forever
(12:52):
.
So I put the top down.
I'm like cruising aroundGreenwich Avenue, going out with
my friends, and I finally go toput the top up.
I'm at home, my dad is standingright there and there this was.
There's no electronics.
So you to like right, unclipthe buttons and then you know,
wiggle it and make sure they'reloose and you go up behind it.
You know, like do the squat andthen the full body press, and I
(13:16):
just hear the biggest rip as itcomes, oh, laying down, because
the top was so dry, rotted, itjust split.
So she got a new top and I wentto school in Boston.
So for the next two years I wason the T and then, yeah, my
(13:36):
final two years I had the car upthere a lot and it was.
It was nice to have a littlecar because I could find parking
, or I remember.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
Oh, in Boston for sure.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
One year I just parked on my friend's lawn and
no one said anything.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
So now let's talk about the top for a minute.
Do you remember, do you?
Where did you source thereplacement top?
Or did you just bring it to adealership?
Or did your dad just say, hey,I have 10 of these shoved in the
back of my closet.
How did you source the top forthat car?
Speaker 3 (14:08):
at that time.
I mean, we still don't have acomputer to this day, so at that
time, it was my dad probablymaking a lot of phone calls we
had.
We have an upholsterer we workwith but, um, my dad did the top
on my most recent cabriolet, soit's always good old dad.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
Yeah, good old dad, so do y'all.
Okay, and I guess we'll getinto the family business here.
So much to chat about.
We'll get into the familybusiness here and we can
actually start chatting aboutthat now.
So it.
So do you do restoration workin the family business?
I guess would be a secondaryquestion, but primarily let's
(14:51):
back into what sort of businessis your family known for and
what business did you grow uparound?
Speaker 3 (15:09):
specialists kind of of the tri-state area and beyond
.
Um.
I grew up in the garage.
I grew up there after schoolsweeping floors, picking up
nails so tamp tires wouldn't getdamaged.
You know shoveling snow, soit's been my whole life.
The shop is 102 years old yeahso I grew up with the knowing
the original risha brothers.
It was started by them andtheir parents, but they were
(15:31):
around for a little bit of myearly life and my great, great
aunt, who also ran the businessUm, she was around.
Speaker 1 (15:42):
Gotcha, may I share the website here, is that okay?
Yeah, yeah Okay.
I know Doug is itching to getin here partner, but let me just
.
Let me just share.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
Let me just share this site uh, it's pronounced
freesia, f-r-e-c-c-i-abrotherscom.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
I'll give that to you again and if you're listening,
uh, you can get it on the shownotes here.
But F-R-E-C-C-I-A Brotherscom,frishabrotherscom.
And if you go to this website,I love and this is your
fingerprints all over itGuinevere.
I can tell this beautiful blackand white photo and it's got a
(16:23):
little Carmen Ghia there with acouple of, uh, beetles off to
the side and it looks like somejacked up dune buggy thing ready
to go just hit the sand yes,the baha the baha bug all right.
Well, I need to just step backand be quiet, because I know
doug has a million questionshere you're, you're fine, you're
fine, um, but yeah, there, Imean, there's some great car
(16:46):
stories here.
Speaker 2 (16:48):
So you mentioned, 102 years old, the family business.
It didn't start doingVolkswagen repair just based on
the timeline, but what did thefamily start doing?
Speaker 3 (17:00):
We started out as painting horse-drawn carriages
and, you know, became one of thefirst, first dealers.
We have a very low dealer platenumber.
The post road I think was, Ibelieve was a dirt road back
then.
Um, we're right on dealershiprow, so porsche's, across from
us there's maserati, lamborghini, audi, and our door front is
(17:25):
kind of like wonky compared toeveryone else, but our door, our
garage door, points true north,which I think is pretty cool,
very cool.
And so, yeah, horse-drawncarriages.
Eventually, over the times theyevolved, they became car dealers
, repairs, and my dad told methe story of, and heard my my.
(17:49):
You know the elders told me thestories.
You know we used to sit at thegarage door.
We used to sit at the garagedoor and wait for a car to break
down and we run out there, youbring it back into the shop and
you fix it up and in I believeit's the 50s, um the prey, the
blanchard prey dealership openedand by the 60s, the Blanchard
Prey dealership opened and bythe 60s people were bringing us
(18:11):
Volkswagens.
We were doing restorations, wewere doing repairs.
So we were kind of always knownfor Volkswagens.
If people left town and cameback, they'd give us a call and
then throughout time, they werejust doing Toyotas, datsuns, uh,
hondas.
You know you're, you're, theywere just regular mechanics.
But, um, I went to school inBoston for fine art photography
(18:36):
and I came back in 2012 and youknow, there, was no computer,
there was still a rotary phoneand I said, come on, like let's,
let's go strict.
Specialty.
Like it'll be fun, like wedon't have to keep up with be
fun.
Like we don't have to keep upwith the computers, we don't
have to keep up with these crazypanels and the electronics.
Like the volkswagen's theeasiest car to work on.
They're super cute.
Like, come on, people love them.
(18:57):
And it wasn't until, I think,2014, I was allowed to create a
website by my grandfather and itwas so basic it was.
It was just our name, ouraddress, the hours and the phone
number.
Speaker 1 (19:11):
But it was your, yeah , your stake in the ground.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Yeah, yeah, yep.
And now and now you have notonly the website, you have a
Facebook page.
We're going to put that on ourshow notes, as well as Instagram
.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Facebook, instagram, a voicemail a push button phone.
Speaker 2 (19:30):
Maybe a push button phone.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
I do my dad, I do he.
His one request was I'd stilllike to write everything out on
carbon copy paper.
So we, we do keep that, whichis very pretty yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
I just mentioned.
To somebody the other day.
I said you know, some peopleare just analog people in a
digital world and if that's whatyou're used to and that's what
works, what works, stay with it.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
Keep the history going Agreed.
So yeah, so just sort of byhappenstance, right the shop was
there, all these car dealers infront of it, and they started
doing car repair, right it wasjust kind of perfectly located.
Right, it was just all thestars aligned yeah, the door,
(20:25):
the, the garage door, pointedtrue north, and that's what we
did, right that is so awesomeand fast forward still family
business, I believe you told usyour, your father's, still
involved.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Your husband works there as well looped my husband
in um okay, not, not their fulltime, but you know, on snow day,
on snow days everyone comesdown and helps, and then awesome
there.
You know, they're alwayswearing the t-shirts, they're
always leaving business cards oncars if they pass by.
They're always taking pictures.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
I mean, it's, it is a family affair, yep and that is
so great and they kept it right.
They kept it going and, withyour help, right.
They focused on volkswagens, I,I believe, some porsches and,
uh, chevrolet corvairs.
Right, keep it there, keepingit air cool yeah, we kept it air
(21:20):
cooled.
Speaker 3 (21:20):
So it's, you know, 90 volkswagen.
And then we do get the porsche,the corvair specialist the van
the corvair vans are cool, butvolkswagen in they are in.
My grandfather passed away in2018 and he had put a volks a
1963 volkswagen beetle away inthe 80s and I took her out in
(21:42):
2019 and started showing her,and that's when I really got
involved.
well, first I saw I saw LilyPray speak at the Pray Center
and I mean, there was never achoice in my heart.
I was always keeping the shopgoing.
That's what I was mentored todo my whole life.
It's what I was expected to do,but it's what I wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (22:03):
Even better.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
I always thought, like when I went to college, kat
Von D was big.
I always thought I was going tobe like the Kat Von D of
Volkswagens.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
I wanted to learn to pinstripe.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
I have no drawing talent at all, so I just put,
you know, my photography, mymarketing.
I put what I knew how to do touse, but I saw.
Lily Price speak and I wenthome.
Eventually my little gray bugcame out of storage and I said
I'm going to name her Lily.
(22:33):
And then, another year later,lily the person has become a
very good friend, my life mentor, and I said you know, before
anyone else tells you, I said mycar's name is Lily and we've
just been the best of friendssince.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
Fantastic, and you so , in your position at Fresh
Young Brothers, you do all themarketing and media right.
So you've taken that yourcollege trade.
You will, and and uh made thatpart of the business right, kind
(23:12):
of uh painted the business inyour, in your color, so to speak
.
And uh, you tell us what you dowith that?
Um, sounds like you do travel,you do some special events.
Um, we, you do some um, uh,pardon me, some uh fundraising
and whatnot, and we're going toput all this on our uh show
(23:33):
notes.
Speaker 3 (23:33):
But if, if you don't mind, indulge, yeah um I, so I
started showing in 2021 was myfirst show and that was with
turtle garage, and I believethat does sponsor the.
It does fundraise for the PreyCenter, which is a car
collection left by Malcolm Prey,and they do take in kids from
(23:58):
technical schools and mentorthem and help them find jobs and
they're really big on keepingthe car culture alive and we are
.
That's where I met James.
It's nice to meet, like some ofthe younger generation, and see
what's going on, and I do.
I do travel a lot, I guess,around, like in right now it's
(24:21):
it's, you know, it's Connecticut, massachusetts.
I was trying to go to all drainsthis past week but the small
car co had their big show so Ihad to be here for my volkswagen
pupil.
But I'm I'm at the point in myautomotive career where I'm
trying to go out a littlefurther, so I'm thinking maybe a
(24:42):
miami show this year, amelia,and then eventually I'll get out
to Pebble Beach.
There is a cool concourse atLime Rock Park.
I'm really looking forward tonext year.
Unfortunately, I didn't make itthis year.
I was supposed to, but lifehappens.
Speaker 1 (25:01):
Wait a minute, I have a great idea.
I have a great idea.
Sorry to interrupt.
It's a great idea.
We have to have a Pebble Beachto all the cars.
I've loved before rally withall the listeners and guests.
Speaker 3 (25:16):
Let's do it, let's make it happen.
What do you think?
Yeah, you guys have a virtualgarage.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
Yeah, yes, All right, Guinevere, you are our chief
marketing officer.
I think you didn't ask for thejob.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
You just got hired.
I dig it hey but there's stillsome.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Doug, did you have more?
Can I hop in here real quick?
Speaker 2 (25:36):
No Hop in.
I do have some air-cooledquestions Air-cooled love, all
right.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
Well, here I do want to bring this in, please, before
we go further, let's talk aboutthe Cabrio.
You mentioned the Cabrio, butone thing I had to get to before
time spins away from us is nowyour second car is a 1989 Cabrio
, correct?
But your daily driver is an 87Cabrio and your other daily
(26:05):
driver, it's two, is a 1963Beetle.
So how do you choose which todecide in any given day and
compare the second car, thatCabrio, with the Cabrio you own
now?
Speaker 3 (26:20):
the cabriolet I own now.
I actually named her Gadget.
The first one was Jessica, thenew one is Gadget because she's
automatic and I think she had aradio which I never had in
anything else, so I just feltlike it was so high tech which
I'm very of course compared to asuper car.
(26:40):
It's nothing, but it makes mehappy, so that's all that
matters.
And then I have the 1963 BeetleLily, which she does not have a
radio, but I do love drivingher backcountry.
And people ask me all the timedo you play your phone?
I said no, I kind of just likethe quiet and the digital detox,
and especially now it's NewEngland and it it's beautiful.
Speaker 1 (27:05):
You are a walking vw commercial.
I can just envision, at dusk,the leaves trailing behind and
you're just on curvy mountainroads.
I see it all right, doug.
Sorry back to you back to youwith the air called the
air-cooled interrogation.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Air-cooled culture.
So some people with air-cooledcars they don't want a radio,
right, because you have thatbeautiful sound.
Yeah the chirp, yep the chirp.
So maybe you could tell us allthe benefits of air-cooled right
?
What gets people, what keepsthem happy smiling about
(27:47):
air-cooled right?
What?
Speaker 3 (27:47):
gets people what keeps?
Speaker 2 (27:48):
them happy smiling about air-cooled right?
Good question, and yeah, whyit's so?
We know it's nostalgic, right,but there are some other good
attributes of air-cooled engines.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Yeah, I mean, we'll go off nostalgia first Everyone
has a.
Volkswagen story, rightkswagenstory.
Um, right now the the cabrioletis having a hot moment because
they're back.
So I was driving that around alot before without getting
stopped.
Now I'm getting stopped all thetime, with people talking to me
.
But I if I, if I take out lilythe bug, I always plan like an
(28:22):
extra 30 minutes to an hour todo my errands because I know I'm
going to hear at least like twoor three Volkswagen stories and
I want to hear them.
So, like someone walks up to methey say I have Volkswagen,
Like I'm already invested inyour story.
But yeah, they've stayed aroundlike no other car has stayed
(28:43):
around before.
People have hoarded them.
They've hoarded their parts.
My dad was telling me how thereused to be like strictly
Volkswagen, like displays andCaldors and, I think, Sears,
which you've never seen foranother car brand.
But they're the simplest carsto work on.
(29:05):
They were specifically createdthat way.
They were specifically createdto be very efficient.
One of my favorite Volkswagenads.
I mean, I probably gravitate toit more because we're in New
England and I remember my dadhaving, if you have a small
business, you're working 24seven.
(29:26):
So there was times it wouldsnow and my dad would be, you
know, out snow plowing.
But there's that old ad howdoes the snow plow driver get to
work?
And it's the little picture ofthe Volkswagen.
So the engine's in the back butmy personal rule is I'll drive
(29:47):
them all fall, winter and newand grown until the salt comes
down.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
That's right.
Look out for that salt.
Speaker 3 (29:55):
You got to watch out for that salt and then they go
away.
But that leads back to theother question.
There's no water in them,there's no antifreeze.
You know, you don't really haveto winterize them, just make
sure.
I say, you know, give them agood spa day and put them away.
Yeah, soothing spa music.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Okay, our research I got to get a couple things in
here real quick.
Research department we havedozens of analysts on staff that
help us get through any givenshow and of them, just uh, all
automotive experts.
One of them got uh handed me anote here a folded up cocktail
napkin that said tropicanaorange is actually signal orange
.
That was the official name.
(30:36):
So now you know, and doug has alittle bw story to tell.
Before guine, we'd like to hearabout your 914 dreams and then
we'll head the show gentlytoward the end.
Speaker 2 (30:49):
914 dreams.
Yeah, so my very quick story,and I wish I could remember the
year.
Had to be maybe post-highschool, but I wish I could
remember the year of the car.
I love convertibles.
Um, in fact, I think the firstconvertible I ever went for a
(31:10):
ride in, or or one of the first,was a volkswagen bug
convertible.
And I have to tell a sillystory.
I was hung over and I gottatell you that family story,
family show feels so good I wasdehydrated and the fresh air
made me feel so good and uh thatthat story just stick.
And it was a yellow, it was ayellow book convertible bug, but
(31:33):
I wanted to buy.
I want to say it was a 60sconvertible bug and my dad was
my mentor.
Slash, I had no mechanicalskills and we found one.
It and it had the the uh floorfloor plant floor pans replaced.
It would run and my dad talkedme out of it and he said I don't
(31:57):
know anything about volkswagensand, thinking forward, I like
they're the simplest cars in theworld.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
He just didn't want to buy you a car.
He just didn't want to dealwith you on that day.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
Well, I was going to pay for it, but he knew he would
get trapped into helping meExactly.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
I guess he wasn't up for it at that time.
Man and I won't even start withmy stories, and Listenerland
knows all about my 1984 VWRabbit GTI.
That car was a trip, and then Iwas sitting around with my kids
last night we were watchingBlack Sheep with Chris Farley
and David Spade Great movie andduring a commercial break I just
(32:43):
started thinking about that car.
I think I was talking.
Oh no, in the early part of thefilm there's a rabbit on the
side of the road and I paused itand I said to my kids look at
that.
I had an 84 VW Rabbit GTI andthey were like, oh, that's
interesting, but it doesn't looklike much.
And so I immediately pull outthe phone and look online and I
(33:05):
find just something.
It was probably on Bring, aTrailer that sold recently for
like $35,000.
And it's just this pristine.
Speaker 2 (33:14):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
It was pristine in the same.
What was the sunset?
Speaker 2 (33:20):
or something.
Speaker 1 (33:21):
Yes, it had white with the Airdam with a little
red GTI in the front and theyhad the blue cloth with the red
in the middle, like it was mycar to a.
T and I fired it off to Dougand my kids all in a text thread
and I said this is it, this ismy history.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Okay, I said I wasn't going to talk about it but I
did.
All right, we got to pick it to.
Everybody has, but everybodyhas a Volkswagen story.
I know, I know.
Speaker 3 (33:44):
Whenever I'm watching a movie I mean I just saw on my
time hop two nights ago.
I watched Willy Wonka last year, the original one.
Speaker 1 (33:52):
If there's a Volkswagen in it.
Speaker 3 (33:54):
I will screenshot it, post it on my social media.
But when I was little I watchedHerbie.
I mean he was so real to me, Iwanted him, I mean he was so
real to me I wanted him.
And the day I went to my dad'sshop and there was three
Herbie's parked out front, itwas like someone told me Santa
Claus wasn't real.
I was like why are three ofthem here?
(34:15):
Like what is this?
Speaker 2 (34:16):
But why aren't they talking?
Speaker 3 (34:23):
Why isn't?
Speaker 2 (34:23):
the hood flapping.
Yeah, I mean, that's such acool story.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
I do want to get in here, all right.
So back to the.
We're all over the place here,but we're so excited I want to
get back to the company'swebsite.
So, as you were talking aboutwhat your family's business does
again freeshabrotherscomF-R-E-C-C-I-A brotherscom.
You go to freeshabrotherscomservices and this is what I was
(34:49):
going to ask you early, but bythe magic of the internet I was
able to answer the question fromthis lovely website you've put
together so full service repairsand restorations, air-cooled
specialists, which you know,fuel injection specialists,
semi-automatic experts, allmechanicals, including right all
the way around the car, brakes,clutch, exhaust tune ups,
engine repairs and rebuilds, etcetera.
(35:10):
And I love how, at the bottomwell, close to the bottom other
services rust repair and floorreplacement.
And then it says convertibletops and interior works.
That's exactly what you weretalking about.
So if anybody in listener landhas an old VW, you don't know
what to do with the top, justbring it to them.
Just bring it to themConvertible tops and interior
(35:31):
work, like you were saying, theupholstery, glass and rubber,
electrical work.
And then across the very bottom, it says thinking about a
custom project, give us a call.
And I love that.
So it's very open-ended.
I mean your, your company isfearless.
I just love it.
Speaker 3 (35:48):
I mean we just, we just want to keep them on the
road, Just want to make peoplehappy.
Speaker 2 (35:54):
Yeah, I mean we had.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
We had a crazy flood here two Septembers ago and I
remember rescheduling everythingI had in the shop because, two
I believe it was a dune buggy, Ibelieve it was a candy apple
red dune buggy with extra flakein the paint which had just been
painted, and a silver, a silverconvertible bug.
Two two separate owners.
(36:17):
They were completely flooded,completely submerged in water.
We had to have them in the shopwithin 24 hours to rinse them
in fresh water and we took apartevery single piece.
It was the biggest puzzle Ihave ever assisted on in my
entire life wow wow so why yeah?
Speaker 2 (36:41):
go ahead.
No, I was gonna say I I hate todo the delorean plug.
I saw a picture of a deloreanthat got caught in the uh, one
of the storms down south.
Of course they're not gonnatotal it right, it's, it's
already in delorean of floridaand they're gonna take it apart
and clean it up there you gotogether, piece of history, just
(37:03):
like the dream like the boltseconds, keep the dream alive.
Speaker 1 (37:07):
You got it all right.
Doug doug wanted to mention oneor two more things before we
close out here oh, I think, Ithink I'm gonna limit it to one.
Speaker 2 (37:17):
Okay, so, uh, your dream car christian hinted at it
.
Guinevere, what is it and tellus why?
Speaker 3 (37:25):
oh yeah, I've been on a 914 kick recently my 914 1973
my dad has a little black 914and I've been driving past one.
There's a different shop acrosstown and there's a white one,
and I know this.
A lady owns it and I just keepwatching it, but I'm on a 940.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
I'm on a 914 kick it matches my white cabriolet and
yeah, me and my dad, me and mydad went cruising right before
this and it's just a cute littlezippy car yeah, yeah, it's such
a, it's such a neat car, rightit's, it's a Volkswagen slash
Porsche collaboration, right.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
Yeah, and the engine's right in the middle, so
you can have the front and theback open and it'll be on the
sidewalk in front of our shopand people are looking at it
like where is the engine, butit's fun.
It definitely moves.
Much different than the 63 Bug.
Speaker 2 (38:23):
Yeah, definitely moves much different than the 63
buck.
Yeah, and, and my recollectionis the 914 somewhat.
No, it was the 912.
I'm sorry, I was going to saytook the place of the 356
because it was cheaper, but thatwas the 912.
Sorry about that, caught myself.
My automotive trivia, um, andthe one, the one volkswagen we
didn't talk about was thevolkswagen bus, and I don't know
(38:47):
if you're a bus person.
I think we have to save it foranother episode.
I know our listeners will wantto talk about a volkswagen bus
till they will have my dad.
We'll have my dad okay and coverthat with you guys.
Yes, can we have?
Yes, father daughter, perfect.
Speaker 3 (39:02):
Yeah, we'll come back .
Speaker 2 (39:04):
Yeah, we've had, we've had husband, wife, we've
had father, son, father, we'vewe've had, just, uh, um, would
he do it?
Yeah, I think so.
Yeah, we did.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
We did a podcast last week for the history of
Greenwich, so yeah, Okay, thatawesome.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
Oh, we have, we want that, I feel like we could
easily talk for another hour.
Speaker 1 (39:28):
So we have to get him on here.
I hear Guinevere's dinner bellgoing off in the background, so
I think we've got to let her go.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
She's got to eat at some point.
Speaker 1 (39:37):
Doug, did we get to all our hard news hitting
questions for Guinevere?
We did.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
We did, we did and the best part is I can't wait
for the family connection.
Thank you to James forconnecting us with Guinevere.
Guinevere, we'd like to assumeyou're another friend of the
show and you just give usanother referral to a sounds
like a great man, your dad, andI'm looking forward to the
(40:05):
father-daughter event.
Speaker 3 (40:06):
Yeah, you know.
Thank you for having me.
I'm so glad James recommendedthis and I've really loved
listening to the show these pastcouple of weeks to prepare.
Speaker 2 (40:14):
Yeah, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (40:18):
Have a good evening guys.
Great to meet you.
Thank you for being here andfor Listenerland.
You know how to get a hold ofus christian at carslovecom doug
, at carslovecom Guinevere.
You know how to get a hold ofher freeshabrotherscom.
Check them out, visit them nexttime you're in Greenwich with
your 914, your bus, your VWthing, and that is going to put
(40:41):
this episode in the books.
Doug, how did we do?
Are we done?
Did we get to it all?
We did it.
We did it partner.
Fantastic, everybody.
Have a great week.
We'll see you next week.
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Intentionally Disturbing
Join me on this podcast as I navigate the murky waters of human behavior, current events, and personal anecdotes through in-depth interviews with incredible people—all served with a generous helping of sarcasm and satire. After years as a forensic and clinical psychologist, I offer a unique interview style and a low tolerance for bullshit, quickly steering conversations toward depth and darkness. I honor the seriousness while also appreciating wit. I’m your guide through the twisted labyrinth of the human psyche, armed with dark humor and biting wit.