VW repair, parts, service and restoration in Florida.
"No VW should ever die"...

 

Welcome to VolksRepair, LLC. 
Your classic Volkswagen repair shop in southwest Florida!


 



VolksRepair, LLC started when a VW enthusiast named Fran "the man" Hetherington (AKA "The Franimal") walked away from his secure Management position of 7+ years at a Corporate owned, local mega-plex 20-screen movie theater. You know, it wasn't his fault popcorn and drinks cost $50!   Anyways ... he sold his toys, but 
kept his 1967 VW campmobile and went ahead and bought Rick's V.W. Repair as the owner Rick, was ready to retire.   

Rick's VW had been servicing VW's in the Sarasota area for nearly 20-years.  Fran (that's me!) started right away cleaning up the overgrown yard and run down shop.  60+ cars were taken away that couldn't be saved, but In the process,  some very happy VW's needing love and attention were exposed.  And that's what VolksRepair is proud to give your favorite VW, great service, love and attention!   

Ron Leftwich, who also worked at Rick's (and previously at Bugnutz), is still here to repair and maintain our VW's the only way he know's how to.  Professionally!  And I'm here to help-out in any way possible.  From a simple repair to a complicated restoration, we're here for you and your VW ...



After all:  "No VW should ever die"

Francis Hetherington 

Owner of VolksRepair, LLC

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Who repairs our Volkswagen's?
(including your VW powered trikes,  Rails, and Dune Buggy's)

Repair technician (and camera shy) Ron Leftwich has been fixing my personal VW’s since the days of “Bugnutz“, a now defunct VW repair shop.   For the previous 4-years to my buying Rick’s, Ron has worked here in a, lets say, less enjoyable, "junk yard" atmosphere!   He now enjoys a clean & organized work area, which means your car is repaired in a timely fashion.  With nearly 20-years in air-cooled and water-cooled Vanagon/Cabriolet/Rabbit repair experience, Ron prides himself on doing his best to get the job done right.  

 

Real VW enthusiasts working on your VW.  People that actually own VW's!  Your VW is in good hands at here at VolksRepair, LLC!

Email us 24 hours a day at:  volksrepair@verizon.net

 

 

 

 

Just click the link below:

www.facebook.com/pages/VolksRepair-LLC/33552830656

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Get a playlist! Standalone player Get Ringtones
 
 
 
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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...  :)
 
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

Frank's newly painted bus:
 
 

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 beaut.

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
                                              
 


 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
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