Cars, tools and the smell of oil have been in Gary Hegarty's blood since he can remember.
"My dad was building race cars when I was a little kids. My grandpa ran a shop in the '50s, and my dad used to work for him," said the longtime Gardnerville Ranchos resident.
On Thursday, a tricked-out '47 GMC truck sat in the parking lot of Hegarty's new shop in south Gardnerville.
"I've had that truck since I was in high school," Hegarty said. "I had to hide it from my parents until I graduated. I get it running, drive it till it breaks down, then I tear it apart, fix it, and do it all over again."
The new shop, Hotrod Hegarty, offers general auto and truck repair specializing in hot rods and custom cars.
After 20 years working as a mechanic, welder and fabricator, at other Valley auto shops and a stint at Heavenly Mountain Resort, Hegarty decided it was time to go into business for himself.
"I want to bring honesty into it," he said. "A lot of shops, whatever they bought the part for, double the price. It shouldn't cost thousands of dollars to keep your car running. If the book says it's a 4-hour job, then it's a 4-hour job. If a water pump for a Chevy costs $50, how can I honestly charge $100 for it?"
The fact that Hegarty's new shop is relatively small also helps keep costs down.
"It's a small place, so I get cars in and out as fast as I can," he said. "I don't get paid till the car leaves, so the longer it sits, the less I get."
Hegarty said so far, there's been enough business to pay his bills.
"It's about half regular autos and half hot rods," he said. "This past month, I joined the Valley Cruisers and also sponsored a car show in Carson City."
In his garage, Hegarty had a coal-black '50 Hudson he'd been working on for a customer. What started out as a weather-beaten shell was transformed into a beauty of a hot rod - new body, motor, a computerized air ride system.
"They (the owners) are planning to drive it through Santa Rosa in October," Hegarty said.
In the future, Hegarty hopes to expand his shop into another unit, having one garage for hot rods and one for regular autos.
"I want to stress the fact that I work on everything; we're not just a hot rod shop," he said.
Surprisingly, Hegarty doesn't have a favorite car or hot rod, but just loves the industry in general.
"If it has tires on it, I'm usually all over it," he said. "But there are a few cars I used to have that I wish I could get back."
Hotrod Hegarty is located at 1482 Southgate Drive, suite 107. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For more information, call 392-0623.
