"The VW Doctor Is In"
His modest, two-bay garage in sleepy Sonoma Valley may look like a junkyard to the untrained eye. But there isn't a vintage VW owner in California who doesn't know Gary Freeman by name.
Dear Friends,
In the age of disposable goods and fleeting trends, where it’s come to be “normal” to replace your vehicle every few years, a mechanic who is also a true craftsperson can become a legend.
This week’s feature profiles one such mechanic, whose story unfolds against the backdrop of a humble tin shed in California’s Sonoma Valley. Surrounded by heaps of tools, buckets of parts, and a rotating collection of aging, rusted vehicles, Gary Freeman is known far and wide for his magical touch with old Volkswagens, keeping them chugging along well past their expected lifespans. And his devotion to these odd but beloved counterculture vehicles is not merely an act of nostalgia: some can sell at auction for more than $200,000.
I hope you’ll enjoy reading “The VW Doctor Is In,” written by Owen Edwards. There’s also an audio version of this story on our podcast.
Tell us your stories: You hear from us every week, and now we’d like to hear from you, our valued readers. Is there something you’ve owned and loved forever because it’s still useful—and repairable? What wasteful product purchase do you most regret? Share your Repair Rants & Raves with us in our new reader survey. It only takes a few minutes to complete, and we’ll share the best stories throughout the rest of the issue. More details can be found on the survey itself, and below.
“The Art of Repair” will continue through mid-November, thanks in part to our sponsor for this issue, the Culture of Repair. Each Friday, we’ll release a feature story, short article, mini-documentary, photo essay, or podcast that relates to our mission—to “create a world built to last.” So please, stay tuned.
In the meantime, I hope you'll always find something intriguing to read, watch, or listen to within our pages. We welcome your thoughts via email, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for donating to our cause as you can, and for being such a loyal part of the Craftsmanship community.
Sincerely,
Todd Oppenheimer
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Craftsmanship Magazine
Craftsmanship is a reader-supported publication. To help sustain our ad-free, independent journalism, please consider a paid subscription here on Substack.
Fall 2023: The Art of Repair
In a culture addicted to novelty and fast profits, the humble art of repair has declined almost to the point of extinction. But it’s not too late: In this issue, we’ll delve into the history of planned obsolescence, and the reemerging ethos of restoration. From the patient hands of watchmakers, piano restoration experts, and veteran appliance repairmen to the story of a young French woman who got her country to ban planned obsolescence, we’ll explore what it really means to create, maintain—and truly value—a world built to last.
This issue is supported in part by a grant from the Culture of Repair.
Interested in sponsoring an upcoming theme or project? Contact us at publisher@craftsmanship.net.
Reader Survey: Share Your Repair Rants & Raves
We’re all surrounded by our collections of “things”—and some of those items are more sustainable than others. Whether it’s the heirloom chair you refurbished to help it last another 50 years, or the kitchen gadget you bought online that fell apart a week later, we want to hear about the belongings you love most—and those you love to hate. Tell us about it in our 5-minute Reader Survey, and we'll share the best entries throughout the Fall issue.
Love audio stories? So do we…
Follow the free Craftsmanship podcast for informative, entertaining audio stories and special interviews with master artisans and other experts in craft. You can play or download these offerings directly from our website, on BuzzSprout, and on popular streaming services such as Apple Podcasts and Spotify.