Harborcreek, PA shop makes Corvettes better
BY JIM MARTIN
jim.martin@timesnews.com
Published: March 23. 2008 6:00AM
It's hard to imagine anyone loving the Corvette more than Brad Goetz does.
The 47-year-old Greenfield Township man, who was sanding Corvette fenders in his father's garage at the age of 11, has worked on them ever since, and raced them for 25 years.
He's been known to stand and stare at the one that lives in his garage.
But he also understands the flaws of this iconic sports car and he's built a career out of making them better the second time around.
"Corvettes are so cool, but I have sort of a love-hate relationship with this car," said Goetz, who owns HarborVette Performance Restoration along with his wife, Debra.
There, in his shop on Iroquois Avenue, he's surrounded on most days with the automotive love of his life.
Step inside and you'll find a turquoise-green 1960 convertible that's been restored to original condition, right down to the bias-ply tires.
It's parked next to a blue 1960 soft top that has fresh paint, but doors that won't close.
Two other cars, both of which await fresh paint, are gray studies in primer and body filler.
In all of them, Goetz sees flawed but breath-taking beauty.
"These cars were built 300 a day. The quality of the cars is a little off. If someone did something poorly in 1962, we want to make it better," he said.
HarborVette, which has six employees -- one mechanic and five autobody specialists -- spends about 60 percent of its time rebuilding old Corvettes. The rest of the time is divided among a wide range of cars, from 1970s muscle cars to vintage Volvos.
Some projects are restored to original specifications, right down to the paint color, tires and original engines.
That's fine with Goetz.
What he likes even better, however, is when a customer turns him loose to transform their vintage car using modern technology.
The shop's latest project is such a car.
Goetz and his crew returned recently from an auto show in Detroit where one of their projects, based on a 1973 Corvette, won second place.
"This is our concept of what the car could be," Goetz said. "It has every option we could put on a Corvette."
It also cost $140,000.
The car, dubbed the C3-HR, has a custom interior stitched together by Sew it Seams of North East, boasts a one-of-a-kind grill, custom fenders, a rollbar, and a modern-braking system.
There's a family resemblance to a stock Corvette, but the flared fenders and the rest of the body were all custom-built, shop foreman Phil Palmer said.
Although the restoration took several months, Palmer said the shop's employees and a long list of skilled volunteers worked on it until moments before it was loaded onto a trailer and shipped to Detroit.
"The guys really busted their butts," he said.
Goetz said the finished project has all the head-turning appeal of a Corvette, but with the refinement and comfort of a car you could drive across country.
Turn the key, however, and you won't mistake this for the family minivan.
It growls, with the throaty burble of a race car waiting at the starting line.
Goetz puts it another way.
"When you get it on the track it's like an unearthly spirit has been unleashed," he said.
Goetz, whose shop also won a first-place for its restoration of a 1971 Chevelle at the same show, calls the C3-HR, "the pinnacle of what we have done to date."
Paying the price
Building the pinnacle of anything costs money. Restoration projects typically take months and average $60,000 to $80,000.
Settling the bill can be a little like a trip to the principal's office, said Goetz, who admits to being uncomfortable about charging what he needs to charge.
"We try to make it the least painful it can be, but it's still very painful," Goetz said.
Bob Lucas, of Waterford, knows all about the pain -- as well as the excitement of owning a dream car.
And he also knows about doing it on an ordinary income.
"I am a broke guy," said Lucas, who is both a 62-year mail carrier and the owner of the C3-HR that morphed from a $30,000 rebuild to a $140,000 dream car.
Lucas said he was on board for every change and loves what Goetz and his crew built for him.
"The work they do is fabulous," he said.
But with each change Lucas elected, the price tag grew.
"We got to $50,000 when I ran out of money. At that point we started taking second mortgages and things. I started on the project and I had to finish it," he said.
He doesn't figure he can afford to keep the car, not if he plans to retire on schedule. But Lucas, who took delivery of the car Thursday, isn't complaining. He plans to drive the car a little, take it to a few shows and eventually sell it.
Lucas said he sees the car as an investment and is confident he'll get his money back.
For Goetz and the crew he describes as one of the best in the business it's on to the next project.
Despite the slowing economy, Goetz said business is brisk and people are investing in nostalgia.
"It's a wonderful thing to have people who say, 'make this car the best you can,'" he said. "I can't wait to do the next one."
JIM MARTIN can be reached at (814) 724-6397, 870-1668 or by e-mail
Harborcreek shop makes Corvettes better
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