More than four decades later, the 51-year-old Joy still has greaseunder his fingernails. He long ago outgrew the tiny coveralls,swapping them for a pair of canvas pants and a white striped shirtbearing the name of his own business, Import Repair Center Inc. Joy has owned the auto shop since 1984, when he rented a SoutheastPortland garage to carry on a family tradition that began with hisgrandfather. In 2002, Joy moved Import Repair Center to North Portland , where he's built a strong customer base despite being smaller andless flashy than the chain mechanics that compete for businessalong North Lombard Street. A very Portland clientele Joy specializes in Japanese-made vehicles, which, in Portland,means about half of his business comes from Subaru owners.
"We call Subarus the Volvos of the new millennium," he says. "The thing all young people whocan't afford a new car drive." He rubs his salt and pepper beard and jots down customer orderswith a red pen, pacing back and forth next to a red tool cartcovered with bottles of gasket adhesive and lubricant spray. Theradio's country music station battles for attention against thebuzzing drills and humming hoses. "Good morning, Import Repair." Monday mornings, Joy is constantly on the phone. Customers want toget a jump on the week's errands, including that tune-up they'vebeen meaning to schedule.
Subarus are at once a blessing to his business and a curse. In theold days, no car made it past 100,000 miles, he says. One of thesewill make it to 250,000 with little more maintenance than regularoil changes and brake jobs. So Joy's business has changed with thetimes. Instead of performing transmission jobs and othercost-prohibitive, time intensive major repairs, he sticks to smallfixes and maintenance checkups -- the stuff drivers still need tokeep their old faithfuls running.
When a customer brings in a car with trash in the back seat anddust on the doors, he scolds them. Can't help it. This is a guy whospends his free time turning rusted old frames into a shiny classicfor millionaire collectors. "I just tell them, 'you shouldn't be driving in a rollingDumpster,'" Joy says.
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