TROY, Mich. (WXYZ) — A realtor by profession, Conor Mcinerney spends his free time fixing up his 1987 Volkswagen Vanagon Syncro Westfalia Weekender.
"A lot of components are rusted, and difficult to take off. So we have do all sort of work," Mcinerney said.
It's a dream vehicle Mcinerney bought on eBay for $8,000.
"It has a pop top on top and its setup for camping," Mcinerney said. "And so, this summer I will take a trip across the country camping and take it out to California and spending some time with friends."
Prior to this, the 30-year-old had never worked on a car, let alone replace an engine.
"But what I can do is I can rely on everyone else working in this shop to take a look at something and give a second opinion," Mcinerney said.
This place is called Hoist House, an all-inclusive, Do-It-Yourself Automotive workshop in Troy.
"I think with the amount of work we've done on this van, I've saved well over 20 grand," Mcinerney said.
Dustin Utz and Max O'Connor, the owners and childhood friends say Hoist House is everything a car enthusiast ever imagined.
"We actually moved from St. Louis to Michigan to be part of the automotive industry. We are like brothers, we always wanted to work on projects together. And we came up with this concept of having a shared garage," O'Connor said.
From hoist and flat bay workspaces to personal tool carts, the facility caters to anyone and everyone who is not afraid to roll up their sleeves.
"We have all data; it's an automotive repair guide. It's a computer we've set aside. It's a very good tool," Utz said. "It will give you step-by-step procedures for repairing certain items and taking certain parts off. And, of course, Max and I are here to give you a hand, too."
Meanwhile, next bay over 19-year-old Violet Lavender-Schott's is about to get a pleasant surprise.
"It broke down 2 weeks ago, I have been car poling with my dad for a while to school," Violet said.
And it was Violet's dad, Jacob Schott, and Grandpa Rick who took on the task of replacing the entire engine - Something they've never done before.
"Let's be honest, was there ever a moment when you both looked at each other and said what have we done?" I asked.
"lol I'm pretty sure there was… at least 4 or 5 of those," said Jacob & Rick.
"So Rick when you heard about it, what did you say?"
"I was thinking about my back and knees but decided it was a worthwhile project," said Rick.
And for Violet's happiness, they will do it again.
Now, there are plans to open more Hoist House locations across Metro Detroit. But in the meantime, to learn more about the one in Troy, head to https://www.hoist-house.com/
