Shop View: Hunt Automotive
1. Frequent Tours
When Hunt Automotive is “in season,” customer tours are held once per day. Patrons can walk through the uniquely designed and decorated shop and see the exotic vehicles being worked on—almost like its own car show. That’s how the shop gets a lot of its business, owner Rick Hunt says. Some visitors will take a tour, and then call up Hunt a year later to tell him they bought their own exotic car, wondering if they can ship it to the shop for repairs.
“The tours have been a really great marketing tool, guerilla-like,” Hunt says, “without much money or effort.”
2. In Its Place
The shop floor is meticulously organized, and not just because of the frequent visitors. Hunt says he has always kept it that way; everything is in its place. Hunt Automotive is known for its expansive software and hardware collection—larger than most other independents, Hunt says. The shop works on so many different things from the early 1900s to now, both general repair and custom, so not a lot of parts are stocked, but plenty of hardware, tools, and software can be found on the floor.
3. Full Queue
At Hunt Automotive, so many cars come in that Hunt has built a separate 3,800-square-foot space behind the shop to store them. Thirty-three vehicles can fit in the unit; some sit for long-term storage, but most are in queue to be worked on. The harsh Florida summers were the inspiration for the added building. With the excessive rain and sun, convertibles—a large portion of the vehicles brought to Hunt—could be damaged without shelter.
4. A Clubhouse Feel
Hunt Automotive is as unique as the cars that come into the shop. Custom bikes, and even a unicycle, hang from the waiting room ceiling. The room’s walls are covered in photos of custom cars built for customers, and there is even beer on tap. Hunt says the waiting room doesn’t need a TV because of all there is to look at.
Hunt also races motocross, so there is a room in the shop dedicated to 40 years of riding, filled with a bunch of “strange stuff,” for customers to explore.
