Lindsay Doty
48-year old Colby Hayduk knows a thing or two about vintage Volkswagons.
He’s the owner of Buggy Works Inc., a repair shop that specializes in fixing up and restoring air-cooled VWs.
“Herbie Beetles, hippy vans, nothing newer than 1979,” explains Hayduk. “I’m out here every day with all hands on deck. We do full restorations and have customers across the U.S. We’ll have a Beetle from Colorado or a bus from San Francisco. It’s not just local.”
The vintage colorful “bugs” have a cult-like following with owners on the constant search for tune-ups and parts.
“There aren’t that many repair shops around so we have clients find us from all over,” Hayduk, who drives a 1959 VW truck, said.
A mechanic by trade, he grew up fixing cars in his grandfather’s tool rental shop and says he started tinkering around with VWs in the 90s and was hooked. He bought out a VW shop in Martinsville in 2008 and relocated to Hendricks County in 2012.
“We were all commuting from up here and we decided it was centrally-located and has a good car club,” the Buggy Works owner said.
Today, the three-man operation or “family” works out of the shop that sits off U.S. Hwy 136 near Lucas Oil Raceway.
This week in the garage, he’s got repairs lined up on three Beetles and a motor repair.
“We’ve got 4 in the other garage and 7 or 8 waiting in line,” Hayduk said. “People ask, ‘Is there a demand for it?’ Yes”
Beyond mechanics, the Buggy Works team does car shows across the country and recently returned from a Volkswagen show in Tennessee.
Every year they participate in Volktoberfest, an annual car festival presented by the Circle City Volkswagen Club.
The 18th annual show taking place this weekend (Oct 12-13) has relocated to the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds in Danville.
“Twenty-two years ago the Circle City Volkswagen (CCVW) Club was formed by a group of friends supporting their love of the Volkswagen brand,” Brian Pullin, CCVW secretary, said. “As the club grew, it was decided eighteen years ago to start an annual event dubbed Volktoberfest.”
What started as a small gathering in the park has grown into a full-blast two-day event with a kid-friendly zone, onsite primitive and full-service camping, raffles, prizes, music, food vendors, craft beer, parts vendors, a VW swap meet, and multiple covered pavilions with car displays.
Organizers expect to see around 450 vehicles at the free event.
For guys like Hayduk, it’s a chance to talk shop about his favorite car.
He believes everybody would be better if they had a little vintage VW in their life.
“You should really have one for every day of the week,” he said.
What: Volktoberfest 2019
Where: Hendricks Co 4-H Fairgrounds & Conference Complex, 1900 E Main St.
Danville
When: Sat., Oct 12
9 a.m.- 11 p.m.
Sun., Oct 13
9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Asking for a non-perishable food item or donation for Hoosier Veterans Assistance Foundation (HVAF)
Food Vendors: One Cheesy Family, Egg Roll Joes, Brew all Day, Frigid Frog and More and The Bacon Station
Saturday night music: Trent Moss and the Fairland Ramblers
There will be a display of new Volkswagens provided By Andy Mohr Volkswagen.
