Last Chance Garage in Unionville, PA

[trulyvintage]

When was the last time you heard of a full service garage that handles
everything from wood body and metal restoration work along with
complete mechanical services done ' old school ' style by real mechanics ...


Model A and Model T and all early Fords ....


Turn back the clock and enter a bygone era


Meet a 93 year old enthusiastic car lover and hear him recount
his memories dating back to 1935 with the car he still owns and drives


" She had been backed into the garage while I was at church
on Christmas Eve of 1935.

Her odometer read 00007 miles when I opened her door and
met that wonderful smell of a new car.

How could Dad have given me such a beautiful Christmas present?

I didn’t even have a driver’s license and wouldn’t until I turned
sixteen two weeks later. "



Daybreak at the Vince Lombardi Service Plaza in New Jersey.
I had arrived late the night before and fueled after picking up in rural Connecticut.
I don't like driving at night, but crossing the GW Bridge on I-95 is best done when
most drivers have retired for the day.
Dropping a 1969 Chevelle SS at the Jersey Port, I slowly made my way towards Unionville, Pennsylvania.



" Dad had already given me new Indian Sport Scout last spring
to drive around the place” and it now had 4100 miles on it,
so he knew it was doing a good deal more than just driving around the place.

Now I must really behave myself with this beautiful Oldsmobile F-36 touring coupe
(two door sedan with trunk), black with two red pinstripes that extended
along the body bead from the headlights to the trailing end of the rear windows.

I lifted the hood and found the engine was just like the F-36
four door touring sedan that served as a family car since October. "



Waiting for me there was a 1931 Model A Roadster destined for California.
I was ahead of schedule so I called Lou at The Last Chance Garage to see
if I could pick up that afternoon.
I made my way thru the twisting Pennsylvania late afternoon countryside.


" My birthday, January 8th, fell on a Sunday so I had to wait another
whole day to go to the Motor Vehicle Department to apply for my Driver’s license.

Cap Walsh was going to drive me there after school, but instead,
he met me before school and handed me my driver’s license - - just like that.

No trip to the Department, No test, there it was.

I later found out that Cap and the Secretary of State of Delaware
were both 32nd degree masons, so voi la, - - a driver’s license. "



I saw the 31' from the road, it was tucked back on Cemetery Lane.
Following Lou's advice, I parked at the Fire Station and walked over.
Lou was at the door to his garage.
I had no idea what awaited me inside.


" 1953 transferred me back to the home office In Wilmington, DE.

F-36 continued as a go-to-work car, but living only two miles from the office,
I rode the bus or walked on most workdays.

She was an ideal car to leave at the airport, being almost immune to theft,
but she was not appropriate for picking up customers or driving with a boss.

Alas, in 1956 she was put in the back of the garage and replaced by
a 1956 Volkswagen Convertible.

Six years later she was reactivated by my daughter and later continued
as a fun car until her 1969 registration ran out.

By then my job got such that there wasn’t any time to do maintenance
needed to pass state inspection and my enthusiasm flagged.

I drove her illegally (unregistered vehicle) to 1997 “One Hundred Years of Oldsmobile”
at Hagley Museum.

After that, she just sat in the garage with 155195 miles on her odometer.

A borrowed battery allowed her to go around the farm once in a while,
but there was no fire in my belly to fix her up ... "


Lou drove the 31' with me as passenger across the road to the back of the trailer.
He was going to be around for awhile longer so I headed back after loading up to visit.



" Eleven years later, An amazing thing happened.

I took my 1918 Cadillac to the Last Chance Garage to have the clutch
worked on and one thing lead to another.

In June of 2008 the garage proprietor, Lou Mandich, was making
the F-36 Oldsmobile touring Coupe into a roadworthy vehicle.

Brakes, shock absorbers, fuel pump, exhaust system and a
hopeless spring shackle mount were all good as new.

Four new tires replaced the flat-spotty nylons of fifty years ago.

Even her amateurishly touched up original finish was polished
to give an actual shine in some places.

It took a day and seventy miles of driving to visit all the locations
that the Delaware Department of Motor Vehicles could dream up
to assure themselves that I had a clear title to the car
I have owned since it was new.

I even had to go to a detective’s office to have his signature
verifying the VIN which anybody could see on the frame
beside the steering box.

By the end of the day the F-36 was insured and registered
with a proper license plate.

Now at age 88 I get more of a thrill out driving that car
than I got on Christmas Eve, 1935.

Back then, it made me feel older.

Today, it makes me feel younger!


Ir'en'ee du Pont, Jr "


How many folks do you know that have owned the same car since 1935 ?

How many of those are still driving that very car today ?

I had never heard of Lou or The Last Chance Garage.


I had never heard of Ir'en'ee du Pont, Jr.

The passages above recount one mans' love of his 1936 Oldsmobile
from Christmas Eve 1935 until 2008 (when his story was put to paper).


Today, at 93 Ir'en'ee still visits Lou.


Two of his cars were at The Last Chance Garage on this day.

One was that very same 1936 Oldsmobile.

If you live in the area, you owe it to yourself to visit Lou.

Housed in a building dating back to the 1800's is The Last Chance Garage.

Lou is a retired teacher of English.

Lou is a lover of old cars.

Last Chance Garage
13 Cemetery Lane
Unionville, PA 19375

Phone: (610) 347-2394

I hope you enjoy the pictures of The Last Chance Garage !


Freighter Jim

[trulyvintage]

More pictures .....

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by trulyvintage

When was the last time you heard of a full service garage that handles everything from wood body and metal restoration work along with complete mechanical services done ' old school ' style by real mechanics ...


Model A and Model T and all early Fords ....

Ummm Jim, I'm not sure if that is a rhetorical question or not, but actually, there are quite a few shops out there (including mine) that offer all those very services in-house. Maybe it is the terms 'old school' or "real mechanics" where I am missing your point? For me personally, I have difficulty in associating the term 'old school' with the words 'craftsmanship' or 'quality' ...but maybe it is just me.

I did enjoy looking at your pictures though (even if there weren't any pictures of T's, A's, -or early V8's in there! ), so thanks for sharing!

.

[Mike]

I agree with Brent, and the place is a mess. Not very professional to me

Mike

[1931 flamingo]

That is what is so neat about it, that is reality of what shops were like, NOT pristine, eat off the floor garages of today (no offense to anyone who has one). It's like stepping back in time. JMO
Paul in CT

[trulyvintage]

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Thank you Paul ...






Here is a shot out the second floor window into the back yard where
Lou had pulled an early private Cadillac Limo out to make room for
a day ....

Lou works on Model T and Model A and early Ford cars ....

As in all garages, what is in the bay at any given time does
not necessarily reflect what the shop might have worked on
last week or will be working on next week ....

Regarding the scarcity of old school mechanics ?

I travel all lower 48 states, this is the first full service garage
specializing in all phases of classic car restoration and repair
done in the old school style by guys my age (50's) and older
who work on daily drivers every single day .....


I enjoyed my visit with Lou ...

I appreciate knowing that a 93 year old gentleman still
finds excitement and passion for a car he received on
his birthday back in 1935 - and that he still drives it around





Jim

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by 1931 flamingo

That is what is so neat about it, that is reality of what shops were like, NOT pristine, eat off the floor garages of today (no offense to anyone who has one). It's like stepping back in time. JMO
Paul in CT

Yeah but Paul, is that what people really want? Personally if I was a shop owner (back then or now), I would be embarrassed if I owned a shop that looked like that inside!! Maybe the guy don't care?? I am the first to admit that my shop is sometimes found to be messy when we are under a time deadline but that shop did not get that way in a week or two of work.

To me, those type shops are generally associated with 'patch it up and send it out the door' type work. JMO, but to me a Craftsman can be a Mechanic, --but not all Mechanics can ever be a Craftsman.

[juke joint johnny]

Great story Jim Thanks for posting

John Cochran

[QGolden]

Cool Pictures Jim, thx for posting.

Brings me back to my childhood. My Grandfather kept the only repair station in a very small one horse town. It was a converted Sawmill from a bygone era and looked very much like the photos you posted. What one would consider "memorabilia" today were his tools of the trade.

I remember the stacks of tune up parts on high shelves, the multi-battery rack with about 20 red and black charging leads on it to keep batteries that were for sale charged. Belts hanging on hooks and the 8 foot pole with the nail on the end to take them down. The water can that sat, always full, between the pumps, that had a single post with two bulbs to illuminate them. The oil jar rack outside by the front door. He kept it out in the sun so the oil, being warmed, would "pour faster and it all would come out so the customer got all he paid for". I can remember the smell of the oil drain rack that held the empty oil bottles, always setting upside down and draining into.

I can picture him explaining to a customer that even though he sold "Silver Seal" to stop a radiator leak, he did not recommend it, as it could clog the heater core, and he should really should pull the radiator and re-core it, but if money were an issue, he could "pinch off and solder up" a tube or two and the customer would probably be OK for this year.

I can still hear the ring of the old cash register while my Grandmother "rang up a sale" and can still hear the metallic clunk of the "cash draw" being closed. And I can still feel the chill of reaching my hand down into the ice cold water of the Coke Cooler to pull out a "Wink" or a "Mountain Dew" as payment for cleaning out the oil rack, or floor drain or some other horrendously dirty job, that I did with great enthusiastic energy because my Grandfather always had some local kid working there, mostly in exchange for lift time to work on his rod or car at night and on Sundays. There was a small apartment attached to the Garage, so sometimes these "employees" were also temporary boarders, working for their rent I suppose. As a young teenager I got to hang out with the "Big Kids" who were driving...life was good.

Huh?Oh.... OK, I'm back now thanks for jogging my memory on this Saturday Morning. Hmm, 45 years ago, at this moment in time I was probably walking across the street to the Garage to get my list of chores for the day. It is warming up so we will probably put the Windshield Washing Supplies out beside the pumps, and move the Windshield Wiper Rack out too. Hmm, Look at that the new Delco Shock Absorber test stand and demonstrator came in yesterday, bet I get to assemble that and put it out in front today......

[jkeesey]

Hah Mike I had a feeling you'd weigh in on this. The man who founded my shop was the first real mechanic at Lous. The benefit of Lou is he doesn't work on the cars so he can sit and shoot the shit all day while his guys tinker away.

P.s. my shop is the same, as well as Mike Etlings.

[1931 flamingo]

Brent and others: This shop is reality and a step back in time, to the 40's and 50's when this type of shop was the norm. When is he last time you saw a 2 post lift?? How about a pit??
This is what it was like, not boyd coddington's or west coast customs, that's for sure. He probab;y still has a coke machine with price of a dime on it. Also, the knowledge found in a shop like this can't be duplicated. AND the stories. Again JMO and you have yours.. END
Paul in CT

[jkeesey]

Paul, the lifts in my shop were installed in the 1950s. My shop started life in 1922 as a buick dealership. We have all the same without the clutter.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by trulyvintage

I travel all lower 48 states, this is the first full service garage
specializing in all phases of classic car restoration and repair
done in the old school style by guys my age (50's) and older
who work on daily drivers every single day .....

Jim, while I understand you travel alot in your line of work, however I also think you have not had the opportunity to visit a full service restoration shop. Otherwise I think you would find that Lou's shop is not really the first, --nor considered a full-service restoration shop or garage based on the pictures I am seeing.

Using my shop as an example, we do sheetmetal fabrication using all kinds of specialty tools and machinery (P-5 Pullmax, Pneumatic Planishing Hammer, English Wheel, brakes, shears, punches, welders, etc.). We also do paintwork in our bodyshop equipped with a spray booth and specialty fixtures & rotisseries that allow us to consistantly perform quality work. In the mechanical area of my shop, you will find nearly all the specialty machines necessary to correctly perform all facits of engine rebuilding (Cleaning, Boring, Honing, Decking, Valves, Bearings, etc.), and we use our Southbend lathe & Bridgeport mill to "rebuild/restore" all the mechanical areas of the customer's vehicle. We also have brake lathes, wheel straighteners, presses, alignment machines, etc. that allow us to truly be full-service with the work we offer. The same applies for us doing upholstery and coach work (woodwork) in-house.

And all my employees with the exception of two are over the age of 50 too. I say all of this not to bring attention to me but to make the point that I am just one of many shops out there that all have these capabilties. I do think it is unfortunate your have not had the opportunity to experience other shops like this and maybe one day you will get to.

.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by 1931 flamingo

Brent and others: This shop is reality and a step back in time, to the 40's and 50's when this type of shop was the norm. When is he last time you saw a 2 post lift?? How about a pit??
This is what it was like, not boyd coddington's or west coast customs, that's for sure. He probab;y still has a coke machine with price of a dime on it. Also, the knowledge found in a shop like this can't be duplicated. AND the stories. Again JMO and you have yours.. END
Paul in CT

Oh I think it can, ...and probably be surpassed. As I stated above, it takes much more knowledge and ability to be a craftsman!!

As for mentioning a two post (in ground) lift, I have indeed seen them and even used them. The same for a pit. I have crawled in & out of one many times doing alignments. There is a reason why I, --and many other shops no longer have them!!

While I cannot speak for WCC, I did know Boyd personally and I was at his shop several times when it was behind his house in Anaheim. I can tell you assuredly that what you saw on TV is NOT what actually went on in that shop as a normal course of business!! The reason any shop ( or business) grows is because it caters to the needs & wishes of their customers. While Lou's shop may be exactly what his client is seeking, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't work for me.

[zzlegend]

I always liked hearing about old mechanics like Lou. Great story Jim. Sorry that another is trying to steal your thunder.

[jkeesey]

Lou is not a mechanic. I sell him parts when "he doesn't feel like ordering them" (his own words). Lou is a great guy and knows what different cars are but he is not a mechanic.

[zzlegend]

What ever you want to call him is good. Just not to many people left like this any more. Still a good story.

[jkeesey]

He has had several different newspaper articles about him. He is a great guy, and a friend.

[zzlegend]

Originally Posted by jkeesey

He has had several different newspaper articles about him. He is a great guy, and a friend.

Good to have friends like that. Good luck to both of you.

[Rock Hornbuckle]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Oh I think it can, ...and probably be surpassed. As I stated above, it takes much more knowledge and ability to be a craftsman!!

As for mentioning a two post (in ground) lift, I have indeed seen them and even used them. The same for a pit. I have crawled in & out of one many times doing alignments. There is a reason why I, --and many other shops no longer have them!!

While I cannot speak for WCC, I did know Boyd personally and I was at his shop several times when it was behind his house in Anaheim. I can tell you assuredly that what you saw on TV is NOT what actually went on in that shop as a normal course of business!! The reason any shop ( or business) grows is because it caters to the needs & wishes of their customers. While Lou's shop may be exactly what his client is seeking, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't work for me.

If and when I find myself in 10-uh-C, I would love to see your shop. I'm always up for learning something more about the restoration of vintage autos.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Rock Hornbuckle

If and when I find myself in 10-uh-C, I would love to see your shop. I'm always up for learning something more about the restoration of vintage autos.

Feel free to do so. Many 'barners have stopped in for a visit when their travels bring them thru the area.

[jkeesey]

April 20th we will be having the local model A club meet at my shop to prep for Renningers the following weekend. Anyone is welcome to bring their A I will have my main lift open for quick service.

[DGNY]

Thanks for sharing this great story and the photos. They take me back to a garage of my youth in the 50s - that of Robert Wood of Lockport, NY, a stone's throw north from the city's original Erie Canal locks.

Robert and his skilled assistant [who happened to be a black man] tuned, serviced, painted and rebuilt all makes, with an emphasis on Cadillacs and LaSalles, and specialties in engines and painting. [Sorry, few Fords in view.] All in the midst of what today would be deemed 'disorganization'. But when Bob explained the angles on valves while operating his machine, it all made sense.

Modern garages are wonderful, but the old ones grow more fascinating to me as the years roll.

Regards,

Dyson

[trulyvintage]

I just stopped for the day outside Columbus, OH.

I am glad to share the story of Lou and his shop.

I am pleased that most of you guys liked the pictures
and the story .....

Having talked to him on Thursday, he started his shop
back in 1980 with another guy who worked on foreign
autos in a second building (now used as a body shop).

That guy is no longer operating.

Lou just makes ends meet, his is not rich in money
but he is one of those guys who is rich in friends.

His shop is a building constructed in the 1800's
they bought from the town .......

I am so very grateful to have the opportunity to
be in a position to meet great people like Lou
and travel this beautiful country .....

By the way, Lou owns a Model A Phaeton
that he drives in the Spring and Summer,
he showed it to me at the shop in an adjacent
room at his shop under a car cover ...




Jim

[QGolden]

I was looking at some of the pictures you posted and read of the signs. I got a kick out of this line:

Happy Motoring:

"Pump a mixture of chopped feathers and hot molasses into a worn tire to extend its life. Messy in case of a blowout".

Reminds me of an experience when I was a kid, there was a local "Clam Bar" down the road, for those of you not form New England, there was a time when there were a lot of Mom and Pop drive in restaurants. Usually a small , seasonal, family operation. We called them "Clam Bars" as it was walk up service only and they served deep fried foods, Whole Belly Clams were popular. Anyway, I was 14 or so and taking apart anything that I could get my hands on just to see how it worked, and hanging on a pole in front of the now closed down Clam Bar was a large commercial Bug Zapper. When the place was open I would beg my folks to eat at the picnic tables just so I could watch that bug zapper do it's job. Especially cool when a June Bug would get into it. Long story short, after they closed down I managed to talk the owner out if it if I took it down for him, so 3 of my buddies and I climbed the pole and took it down and carried it home. It took all 4 of us to carry it. So we were going to take it apart and I remember there was a small brass plate on the side of it. It had the the make and model and specs etc. but at the bottom of the plate was the following line:

Warning: this unit contains 50,000 volts, safe but unpleasant.

[trulyvintage]

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Jim

[ct1932ford]

Loved it THANKS!

[Terry, NJ]

One of the most successful people I've ever known, started out in life, working for his father in the family's greenhouse. Dick and his brother, Bob eventually had to buy it from their father. That's BUY, Not inherit! Anyway, Dick is a Minerologist in addition to being a Florist. Bob is a car nut, 55,56,57Chev's and Corvettes. Later Military Vehicles. The green house was probably 60/40 Retail / wholesale. The land was about 3 1/2 acres. The back of the land was rented to a contractor to pack backhoes etc. Another part was dedicated to Bob's Car collection, as they came and went! Things were kinda helter skelter. A new Chassis or body here, a new pile of rocks there. Yet it was interesting! Never Boring! The old tools hanging on the walls were real, not the faux yuppie "Ambiance" that is so common today. Some of the Benches still had their original cyprus boards from 1910. Once Dick got a manikin's legs in some deal and arranged them to appear as though someone was sleeping behind some boxes. It was funny to see. The point is, They did everything wrong (By the book) and they made money and friends. The place was cluttered, an ever shifting morass of cars, minerals and plants. Yet the public didn't seem to mind. They came and spent! And they knew Dick and Bob weren't ripping them off.
Terry

[sawzall]

Having had the oppertunity to work for lou, and spend a good bit of time at the shop I can identify the sentiments of the O.P/ (trulyvintage)

what does concern me is the judgements being made based on a few photos on the interwebs..

heaven forbid if someone see the mess in my shop just now..

[Bob/Ohio]

Great story and pictures of a man who loves old cars and the hobby. Who cares what his shop looks like, as long as it makes him happy. I only hope I can find the garage at 93, let alone still do work and be able to tell some great stories. Some people just miss the point.

Bob

[jkeesey]

Funny story about Lou, when he was teaching on hot days they had all the windows open in the school. His favorite thing to do was to drive his old truck down with the bed full of manure and park it right outside.

[trulyvintage]

Originally Posted by sawzall

Having had the oppertunity to work for lou, and spend a good bit of time at the shop I can identify the sentiments of the O.P/ (trulyvintage)

what does concern me is the judgements being made based on a few photos on the interwebs..

heaven forbid if someone see the mess in my shop just now..

That sums it up

The minute he rolled back that barn door to the shop,
I had a smile on my face that did not leave for quite awhile
after I had left Lou

Thank you for chiming in ...




Jim

[trulyvintage]

I visited with Louie a couple weeks ago .....

Still going strong ....

He could use some help at the shop so I will be starting a separate thread.

In the meantime - Louie with his $10 Hudson Commodore Straight 8 he bought get in 1969 when he was in college .....


Jim

[midgetracer]

Loved the post Jim. It took me back to my college days and a Texaco in my hometown where all us guys hung out and the owner could fix anything for a small fee. It was a time I'd like to go back to.

[Terry, NJ]

Is this shop still going? I have a job for him! Unionville is not that far away.
Terry

Originally Posted by trulyvintage

I visited with Louie a couple weeks ago .....

Still going strong ....

He could use some help at the shop so I will be starting a separate thread.

In the meantime - Louie with his $10 Hudson Commodore Straight 8 he bought get in 1969 when he was in college .....


Jim

[Oldbluoval]

Neat shop comment.........
If a really neat shop is a litmus test of quality....I fail. But, a neat shop facilitates the following
Ease in finding things (organization)

Time savings
SAFETY
Cleanliness


A one-man shop can be what ever it is. If more than one, everything has a place and everything is to be in its place. "Put your tools up everyday and you can find them tomorrow".....my Dad, circa 1950's; sorry Dad, I get a C- on my report card.

[trulyvintage]

Louie is still going strong & doing everything from scheduled maintenance to full restorations.

Last Chance Garage
610-347-2394



Jim