Owner’s Insight:

Our Barracuda was originally delivered on July 24, 1964, to a gentleman from Bowling Green, Virginia.    The original dealer was McKimmie Motor Company of Richmond.  According to the original purchaser’s son, the Barracuda was traded in for a new 1965 Barracuda having a sportier look.

My Aunt and Uncle purchased the Barracuda on May 22, 1965, from E. C. Davis Motor Company in Port Royal, Virginia.   The odometer reading was 6,750.  My Aunt needed a car as she had just given her 1963 Valiant to my mother living in Georgia.

The Barracuda was garage kept in Arlington, Virginia, and used by my Aunt to travel to and from school.  She was a first grade teacher in Fairfax County.   My Aunt got lots of looks from car lovers as she drove one of the first of the MOPAR muscle projects to school, church and trips to the commissary.

Later in life when my Uncle was no longer able to drive, I often took him out on the DC beltway for runs in the Barracuda.   Hard to say which one of us enjoyed those rides more.

A few years after my Uncle passed, my Aunt moved to Virginia Beach to be closer to my wife and me, at which time she gave the Barracuda to me.

This car means everything to me, my wife, my three children and my nephew.   It is a constant and very real special reminder of the time we all enjoyed with my Aunt Margaret and my Uncle Randolph.  They were both great people.  They were always willing to help those who were trying to help themselves and who just needed a little lift up to succeed.  My Aunt especially pulled for the little guy, the one most in need through no cause of his or her own doing.

Deciding it was time to restore the Barracuda to its original glory, I set about finding the right shop to do the work.  The search was long, challenging and quite frustrating.   I found many shops that guaranteed excellent results but upon close examination of completed work, each was systematically dropped from consideration.   Most were not chosen because of their cost savings suggestions and how they knew of ways to cut corners to get the work done more quickly.

I heard about FantomWorks from a co-worker in Virginia Beach.  He was very familiar with the work involved in restoring old cars, especially older MOPARs, and was impressed with the quality work he had seen in the cars completed by Dan’s shop.

I spent a lot of time talking with Dan at our original meeting about cars, work processes, and the reasons why people bring cars to him to have work done.   I was very pleased to hear Dan’s explanation of why he does what he does and that is to bring cars back to life for people who truly love their cars.   It was near the end of our initial meeting that I realized I wasn’t really the interviewer, but rather the person being interviewed.   It became very clear that he had to be sure I was totally committed to a quality restoration before he would agree to take on my project.

There was an almost immediate establishment of mutual respect and trust probably coming from our military backgrounds and how we each approached life and its many personal and professional challenges.

From the first meeting through delivery of the finished product, Dan and each member of his team have conducted business and done the work on my car consistent with the highest of personal and business ethical standards.   I have never had reason to question any charge or the time required to complete the extensive work done on our car.  There were surprises.   There was unknown damage to the car that required additional material and hours.   There was never a time when a short cut or a “don’t fix” option was contemplated by Dan or by me.   The necessary work would be done and done right!

Hidden surprises.   I never suspected body work would be needed other than for the obvious rust spots and little dings I pointed out to Dan at the initial review of the car.   I was totally surprised to see the body after it was soda blasted.   It was easy to understood the newly disclosed rust problems as the car had been operated in a salty road environment for many years.   The biggest surprise was the collision damage on the right side.   I had never heard of the car being in an accident before.   My Aunt was not one to hide things so the damage probably occurred when I was younger and it just wasn’t discussed with me.

I could not be happier with the final outcome.  I know my Aunt and Uncle would be most pleased to see the car today, take a ride, and see just how much everyone in the family is still enjoying it.

I’ve made a few really great decisions and choices in my life.   My most recent great decision was turning “old Marge” over to Dan and his group of talented folks, each caring just as much as I, that the needed work be done with the same care and exacting attention to detail as you would hope to get during a complex medical procedure for yourself or a loved one.

The best way I could show that I would recommend Dan to a friend is to say that I would do it all over again and entrust a truly loved and highly valued possession to Dan’s care.