Page 40 - Australasian Paint & Panel July-August 2019

PEOPLE MATTER
Smoko with Lozo
40
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PAINT&PANEL JULY / AUGUST 2019
WWW.PAINTANDPANEL.COM.AU
STEVE LOZENKOVSKI
DROPPED INTO MEET THE OWNER OF A PANEL SHOP THAT ALWAYS HAS HAS ALWAYS INTRIGUED HIM.
SKY HIGH RESTORATIONS
EY ALL. FOR MY NEXT INSTALL-
ment I stopped into a shop I
drive past a few times a year to find out who was inside. Helens- burgh, just south of Sydney, serves a good schooner at the local and is also home to a cracker little panel shop, Inno- vation Accident Repairs that’s always got
something interesting out front.
From the outside I expected to meet
an old bloke with a big beard and over- alls. The shop is a cool place full of res- to's and muscle cars. What I got instead was Chris Rolfe, a clean cut 32 year old business owner that lives and breathes cars and surprisingly likes to get sky high on the weekends (not what you’re all thinking, so read on).
HOW DID YOU END UP HERE?
"Well I started my trade like most guys sweeping a shop floor at 13 in a place down the road called Kurt's Precious
cars restored, I was 21 and full of energy and was already doing jobs at home so I thought why not give it a go?"
HOW’S BUSINESS IN THIS
BLOKES’ TOY SHOP?
"Well I've worked seven days a week for almost 10 years and always had work. It was great but I needed a break and just wanted out for a bit. Business was good but I never really switched off, so I closed the shop and kind of fell into a part time job from my other hob- by, hang gliding. I started to get out of the shop on a Sunday and absolutely loved it, the place that trained me saw I was spending more time in the air and offered me an instructor's job. It was great and I still get in the sky, but I missed the smell of the shop so started back on cars again."
SO STRAIGHT BACK INTO THIS PLACE THEN?
"No I wasn’t sure I wanted back in so I scored a part time job at Andy’s Restorations in Sydney, that place really opened my eyes and just made me want to open the doors again. I signed a new lease and here I am with a shop full of cars again."
SO YOU’RE A SUCKER FOR PUNISHMENT, WHAT HAVE YOU WORKED ON OVER THE YEARS?
"Well there have been a heap of restora- tions and some small smash work in be- tween to keep the books ticking over. Last big one was a ground up on Black EH for the boss of the local Holden dealer- ship. I clocked 1500 hours and stopped counting. I’ve also done a few split screen VWs and I’m working on an XU1 at the moment."
SO WHAT'S NEXT MATE, WILL
YOU BE BUILDING CARS TILL
YOU RETIRE?
"Yep I hope so, I love it and I’m living mydreamsowhynot?Idohaveakid on the way so I might need to take the weekends off and help the missus for a few years, but I’m not planning on go- ing anywhere."
Chris is a true champion and reminds me that the trade isn’t dead. There are still blokes out there willing to take a risk and put in the hard yards and it seems like it’s paying off for this bloke.
Remember if you’ve know someone that’s Smoko-worthy drop me an email. steve@bearsgroup.com.au
metals. It was a hot rod/ resto ended up taking me on as an apprentice at 16. I didn’t even see smashed cars until I went to TAFE, so I’ve been a resto guy from day one. I finished my trade and kept working until the opportunity came to take over the shop I’m in now. It’s in my home town and I had a heap of guys wanting
place that