Comments

Sunshine auto Garage

VW Parts, Service & Restoration, Sarasota, Florida

CUSTOMER COMMENTS!

Thanks to EVERYONE that took time out of their busy day to send us some props!

We greatly appreciate your business!!

Just to let ya know we made it home and boy did it get all the looks from Flordia to Indiana and everyone asked when we stopped where did you get that and I said Sunshine Auto Garage, Sarasota,FL.
Then they would say boy looks like they know what their doing as they would inspect your work combing over the car made us feel so proud thanks for a good deal and a awsome job everyone that looks at it loves it.

Thanks you!
The Manring Family

>>>>>>

Saturday I'm driving south to Sarasota and was curious to learn what VW repair shops were in the area. In all my travels and web surfing I have never found a mechanic shop that shows so much passion and positivity! Thanks so much for being in business and keeping the VW spirit alive!

I greatly look forward to stopping by to say hello!
David

>>>>>>

Excellent !!!! When i met these guys my 80' westy needed a lot of love and Ron and Francis gave it all it needed. They've done the right ajustments and they also changed the cylender head. Those Guys had an awsome knowlege about VW. They work very good and fast. I was so happy to meet those guys on my 20,000km road trip. Now i'm with our westy in Canada, Qc, 3,995 km from the shop and the bus still going well!!!!

Thanks again guys !!!

Charles and Gen from Montréal

>>>>>>

Hey Fran & Ron,

Your site is too cool! We just got back from a road trip in the "new" ZebraBus to Crumpler, NC for the 2011 High Country Bus Festival. The NC mountains are really nice this time of year. Dixie made the trip with us- she's a great busdog. Got to see some friends from previous bus camps and lunch at the "Hob Nob" in Boone on the way home. Go Appalachian State! We couldn't have done it without your service and mechanical tutoring. The ZebraBus made the trip flawlessly!

See you soon,
Chip and MaryAnne
'63 sedan "Ruby"
'76 station wagon/camper "ZebraBus"

>>>>>>

Thanks again guys!

We just arrived yesterday at our place and it survived!

Charles

>>>>>>

Hello Sunshine Auto,

My name is PJ. I just bought a 1983 Westfalia Volkswagon Vanagon Campmobile! This is a dream come true for me. It's got 120,000 miles on it and is in outstanding condition. Just wanted to say hi, and looking forward to visiting your shop, meeting you, and getting lots of work done over the years to come. I live in Sarasota. Hope all is well.

PH; I attached a pic for your viewing pleasure;)

Cheers,

PJ

>>>>>>

Fran,

Again, thanks to you and Ron for taking care of our ’91 Westy when we had problems in December. My only regret is that we don’t live closer so we could use your shop and Ron to perform all the work on my van. Ron does excellent work and I couldn’t be more pleased.

Please pass my comments on to him and thank him again for the excellent work he did on our van.

If we are ever traveling in Florida again, we hope to stop by just to say hello,

Harold & Faye

Harrisonburg, VA
>>>>>>
From Roadhaus.com -

Excellent shop for Vanagons!

Highly Recommend Fran and Ron! Had problems (clutch, leaking clutch master cylinder, torn CV boots, leaking power steering hose) with my '91 Vanagon while traveling in Florida and Ron took care of my problems. Ron is outstanding and I have never met a more competent and honest mechanic. He knows what he is doing and works fast to minimize the number of hours he has to spend on a job. Labor and parts chargers are very fair! My only regret is that the shop is too far from my home for Ron to be my regular mechanic. And on addition to being a great mechanic he is a heck of a nice guy!
Shop Rating: Excellent
Recommended
Report Date: 01.22.2011

>>>>>>

Hi, Ron,

Many thanks for doin the alternator swap on my 1956 Porsche "A coupeCarrera Panamerica "clone"; a great job and quick, too! Tanks for fitting me in! Tested last night with all the lights on, including those driving lights and everything was working, nice and bright with no alternator light coming on. Oil clone, filter and tune, plus valve adjustment at the beginning of the year?

Best,

Paul E.

>>>>>>

Hi Fran,

Yes, the bug is for sale. I’ll be sorry to see it go. We had a good run together. I can’t thank you and Ron enough for all the years of great service. I appreciate your efforts to make sure she always ran great. Please let me know if you would you be willing to advertise it for me? I have attached a PDF to print and a couple of jpegs to post.

Thank you, in advance, for your help.

Brad

>>>>>>

I first saw volksrepair on the samba a few years ago and thought i need to deal with this company, i did not know how or in what way but if i did, they could help me with my business, then low and behold god found away, (look at the picture on the left and you will understand) i will miss the words volksrepair, but whatever you choose it will all work out in the end, thanks for the assistance today fran much appreciated,

i will email you later. johnimac

>>>>>>

Fran,

Thanks for hooking up my 74 Blue Bus! You and Ron are the best. I will be back in a couple months for the steering issues...

Thanks again for the good work!

Here is a link to my band's site... :)

www.myspace.com/rudesquad

Peace,

Kyle

>>>>>>

Hey guys, just dropping a note to say thanks again for getting this tired old girl running again. It feels good to get in and actually be able to DRIVE the car. It gives me renewed enthusiasm to get working on the body issues, etc. Thanks for all your help. I will check back with you as I can.

Thanks again - Jay M.

>>>>>>

The story I have is way to much to write here, but suffice as to say you can't find a more honest professional place than Volksrepair. These guys towed it, repaired it and all for a guys out of state over the internet. If you have a VW and are in the area or passing through you have to check them out.

Francis - I certainly owe you one! You guys are top notch professionals.

Marc

>>>>>>

Wow! What a difference with new rear struts! Now, I need to get the front one's done and then solve the problem with starter/ignition/??), starting her when she's hot. I want to get the car to the point where I can trust driving her on road trips. Thanks for the good, reliable service!

Judy

>>>>>>

Hi Fran

It was tremendous to meet you last week - thanks for taking the time to talk us through your projects past and future. My friend John who was with me said you reminded him of the Dude, which is a tremendous compliment:) I think you clearly have more initiative than the little Lebowski:)

Thanks so much,

Jess

>>>>>>

Fran,

Well finally the old yellow bus is done. Still a few things I want to put in like curtains but my wife wants to make those. Your integrity about the condition of the mechanics of the bus were instrumental in making this dream come true.

Yours truly,

Frank

Autism Awareness

>>>>>>

Hey Fran!

Not sure if you remember us...but my husband Randy and I bought the 1980 westy from you last may. We just wanted to say THANK YOU again! It is AWESOME! It was in great shape, we just had some minor repairs done...and new tires of course. We also did a lot to the inside, since we were gonna be living in it. (I attached a few pictures) We finished ripping down the already peeling and crackling old contact paper and painted the inside yellow. we ripped out the carpet and put down fake wood floor. (MUCH easier to keep clean). We reupholstered the seats and added more padding to the front seats, as they were sorta killer on long drives. we added some cargo nets...and a funky foam block design to the inside of the sliding door. we also had a new sound system installed. oh, and we got a new yellow tent for the pop top...with 3 screens. We moved into the van in early July and hit the road. We were all over from PA (our home) to the carolinas, tenessee, kentucky, indiana, ohio, illinois, michigan, minnesota, and back home. We currently in Romania doing some work...and then to Africa for a couple months. As soon as we get home though we plan to hit the road again.

Well, thanks for you time and for the van!

Peace.

Andrea and Randy

>>>>>>

Hey Fran,

I hope you remember me. I have the 72 bus that you restored for me. I wanted to let you know that Amara (thats her name now) is doing great. She took me and my two best friends on an amazing road trip to Greenville SC, in January. (See attached picture of her at Hartwell dam.) So thank you for doing such a nice job and keeping one more bus from the scrap yard. I get complements every where I go.

Thanks!

Eureka! I have found it! The glass is have empty.

but this makes it in no way less then a glass that might be half full.

Jared

>>>>>>

Fran and Ron were great. I brought my 1984 Campmobile in for a check up and maintenance. Fran is so enthusiastic about the VW's and had many great stories. He showed me many of his restored VW's which were outstanding and impressive! Beautiful Work! Ron was informative and I appreciate him taking the time to tell me some VW tricks and maintenance tips. These guys really care about your VW and what they do. The vanagon (NadaGon) ran great already, but even better now! I would highly recommend Volksrepair to anyone whose VW needs maintenance, repair, or just a little TLC.

Renate - nada : )

>>>>>>

Hey Francis -

Arrived in Wisconsin yesterday, Saturday - Nice

runner!!!!!!!!! - Had a few questions though - The dip stick for the

oil kept popping out just enough for oil to spray out of it making a

mess at highway speeds - I'm sure you didn't get this one up 60-65 or

you would have noticed - A small bungy hooked onto the stick applied

enough resistance to stop the leak and splashing - Solved! - Or is

there something we should know about the stick and how to make it

secure enough without bailing wire etc.? - Engine ran clean, slow

power (kept hanging in the slipstream of trucks to help) had to add

oil though but it doesn't puff or turn the oil dark - Cool - As

advertised and satisfied - 20 degrees last night here and we dumped

the water in the holding tank - Ask your tech guy what else we might

consider to winterize this baby from freezing water issues and thanks

to both of you for the help on the road breakdown - Much Appreciated!!

- Need a few details - Exactly what engine is in this? - Short or long

block - 2.0? - Is the turning at slow speeds hard hard hard normal -

Brakes are really not to be relied on and we will have them looked at

- Appreciate a response from you or your mechanic - Again thanks!!

Denis and Michele

>>>>>>

I would highly recommend this little shop in Sarasota. They have always been helpful to me when I have had a problem. You can check out my blog livininavan.blogspot.com to see some of the additions that have been added due to their expertise.

Alan D.

>>>>>>

Fran and Ron at Volksrepair helped me out more than I could have imagined. Ronny is one heck of a mechanic. I'm just starting to learn about the volkscene and have little to no skills in the area. Fran and Ron sure have provided some great information/ knowledge. I definitely plan to take it back to them. Pricing was very reasonable. Anyone with a vw in the southern florida area can afford to keep it on the road with Volksrepair not that far from home. (And I came from 3hrs away to have them work on it)

Grant S.

>>>>>>

Thank you! I sure appreciate your reply. Upon registration completion I

will make an appointment with you all to make sure the bugs tight.

Thanks again,

Peter

>>>>>>

Hey, Fran -

Glad you got the white Rabbit in one piece (well, in only as many pieces as it was last seen lying in, anyway)! DHL is coming to pick up the title in its pretty yellow envelope right now, and you should have it tomorrow. I've got no problem splitting the tow cost with you, esp. with the price of gas being so high -- I'm just glad the poor little Bunny made it to people who can use it to keep other VW's alive, if nothing else.

Thank you again. I'll go look right now: if there's a "comments" section on your website, I'll leave a glowing recommendation there for your future customers to find!

Yours,

Jeanine "Jinx" Ashforth

>>>>>>

Fran -

the dipstick arrived. It's a beauty.

Thanks,

Mike

>>>>>>

Hey Fran!

Mike from NY here.... Remember a while back when I came down to buy that 86 Westy from you? Well, it's been a long strange trip and I'm so glad I bought that van! What a blast I have had with "Bernie"... ;-) I have moved to Vermont where I have been seeing a much larger population of Vanagons... very cool.

I've done oodles of work to him including new lowering springs, shocks, all ball joints and etc. Basically an entire new suspension. Since the tim I purchased him from you he has been a faithful (mostly) companion across the country twice and on countless weekend getaways. Nest up is the bunh of body work to get him looking new again....

I just wanted to say hello and pass along a pic for your enjoyment.

Feel free to post one on your site for a testimonial or whatever.

Good luck with the shop... :-)

Thanks!

Mike

>>>>>>

Hey its Randy/Andrea from Pa.

We made it home with almost no problems!! The van rocks and everyone is stoked about it. Anyhow that's all besides the point. The real point of the e-mail is this, Andrea's brother and girlfriend want to buy one now too and come with us all over the US this summer. They're just about ready to leave it all behind and the only thing they're missing is a van. If you come across any other vans like the one we bought or better, please e-mail me. Thanks again for your love for VWs and the care put into it. Our local "old school VW" mechanic was happy about it's condition too. Keep an eye out and keep in touch.

Thanks again Fran.

Randy and Andrea

>>>>>>

Hi Fran,

I really like the way the van drives - we had some nasty weather driving back though. Thanks again.

Nancy

* It does run like new, I think the shifting is good too. I’m psyched!

>>>>>>

Hi Fran,

I LOOOOVVVVVVE OUR WESTY! I will definitely leave some feedback for you. I just got back into town from a short vacation and will go to the link before the weekend. I just came back from Colorado, our Westy can handle a trip “westy” right? I thought it would be a blast to go out there.

Nance

>>>>>>

Hey Francis

We got home at 1:30 this morning, we did alot of driving but it was a nice drive all the way home and the truck is still clean hahaha. The truck drove AWSOME all the way with no hiccups, i am VERY VERY happy with it, there isnt even a squeek or rattle anywhere. Hopefully we can do buisness again.

Thanks Alot

Jay

>>>>>>

Greg writes:

These guys are great. I have an '82 Campmobile that needed some regular maintenance and a few other things checked out, and everything turned out great!... not to mention that the cost of the service was excellent. I highly recommend Volksrepair to anyone whose VW needs maintenance, repair, or just a little TLC.

Shop Rating: Excellent

Recommended

Report Date: 03.10.2008

From Roadhaus.com

3/1/2008

>>>>>>

Tui writes:

I live in Jupiter, Florida. My problem was a 1989 Westy with a blown engine. No one in South Florida wanted to touch it. Those who wanted to try did not know what they were doing. Then I found Ron and Fran at Volks Repair. Visiting their website, I knew that they have the love for these vehicle. Trust is something you feel weather you are right or wrong. After a phone conversation with Ron and Fran, I had the Westy towed 250 miles to Sarasota. I results was wonderful. I have my Westy back better than before.

Shop Rating: Excellent

Recommended

Report Date: 03.08.2008

From Roadhaus.com

>>>>>>

Hello Fran,

I just looked over your website and was quite impressed. Yes...it's funny that you would drive a Dodge truck...but they are real work horses and I wish I had one myself. Anyway...

It's good that you have that site up for folks to read. It's so hard to get somebody who seems to care about these cars. Now I feel comfortable leaving my bus with dedicated people, especially Ron. I really love working on the van myself, but by the time something goes wrong, I have forgotton most everything I learned from the time before....hahaha. I learned to adjust the valves, pull and gap plugs, change out belts, gaskets, and gas filters...all kinds of stuff that goes along with having one of these antiques. It's great fun.

I like your slogan "No VW should ever die" cause this one has a few miles left in her and could use a resurrection. ....uh...that's ANOTHER resurrection. I bought her and a another bus (for parts), BOTH, for $100 from some hippie friends of mine who live in Virginia. Neither ran so I brought them to Kentucky on the back of a huge flat bed truck. This is the THIRD engine I have put in her since 2000. More than half of the time between then and now, she has been sitting...waiting patiently for me to scrape the funds together for another money pit adventure...hahaha. I have thrown thousands after her with little return, but as we say in Kentucky..."I'm gonna do it now, if it takes hide hair and all!" After finally meeting the regional VW guru of the area I am from, I finally got a great engine. I drove her to Southern California and then here to North Port, FL. She's been great.

Sincerely,

Danielle

>>>>>>

Greetings,

I'm searching for a generator and voltage regulator for a 12 volt 1967 Type 3 engine in my trike...NOS and/or chromed housing & pullley would be nice, as this item is somewhat visible from under the rear cowl. Any suggestions?

You guys are the best. Thanks so much!

Bruce Seifert

>>>>>>

Hey Fran and Ron!

The Zebrabus is running great and we just got back from a 1700 mile trip to Boone, NC for the High Country Bus Festival with the Full Moon Bus Club. We camped with 155 other VW buses in the COOL NC mountains! Time to change the oil and check the valves.

Thanks for everything!

Chip and Mary Anne

'66 Westy

'65 Beetle

'63 Beetle

>>>>>>

Fran,

Enjoyed meeting you yesterday. Thanks for hooking me up on the starter.

I got it installed today and it cranked right up! I'm pretty excited to have it back. There's still a lot of work to be done, but at least it's road-worthy now.

Will send a photo soon. Maybe you can add a 'satisfied customer' link to your webpage.

Best,

Dave Tabor

>>>>>>

Thanks Fran.

Sorry again about all the payment problems.

I got the stuff (camper parts) today. It's awesome!

Thanks again.

Eric

>>>>>>

Fran,

Sorry for the late reply, but got both westy foot stools safe and sound, thanks a ton,

they are everything i had hoped for!

give thanks,

marc

>>>>>>

hi guys !!

I found your website by doing a google search for VW Repair shops in Sarasota florida and You guys came up, thought you should know…. Great website, really, this intrigued me so much to go ahead and see you guys. I am bias against going to the dealership! Ha

Thanks so much for your time. Coach Damon

>>>>>>

hey guys !! just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to fix my vw. I am so impressed with the way it runs and drives now !!

thanks to you both!

Main Navigation