Your source for authentic paints, clips and fasteners, component restoration, zinc and cadmium plating, powder and phosphate coating, good used and repro parts, musclecar restoration, supplies and service.

Old Pro
Okay, he's really not so old... but he is a pro.

Reprinted with permission from Chryslers @ Carlisle official directory.

Building Mopars for a hobby has created problems for Dave Ferro. Don't misunderstand me,
there was nothing wrong with the cars; they were always first rate. In fact,
that was the problem-they were too good. It seems that as soon as one of his
creations rolled out of the garage, another personal project would be
underway. Tough life, right? It wasn't, until he headed toward his first show
competition; that's when the problems started. The cars were too nice- and
they won. Comments like, "Nice car!" were inevitably followed by, "Can you
build one like that for me?" Soon to follow was, "Here's my check." What's a
guy to do? Dave would give in, watch his newest pride and joy fade into a
dark corner, then he'd go back to the garage to help another guy realize his
dream. Sixty-six cars were built in that two-car garage and after a while,
building Mopars for a living just seemed like the logical choice. So began
Totally Auto Inc.

Since turning pro, Dave and what he refers to as Team Totally Auto, has
churned out four to five really mind boggling, complete turn-key cars a year
and countless rolling chassis. Partial restorations, custom work, updating
and improving existing muscle cars, tuning engines and the like also kept him
real busy- so busy, in fact that Dave had to bring on an entire crew yet,
even with the increased manpower, Totally Auto still has a two-year backlog,
but loyal customers know it's worth the wait.

Well over a decade has passed since Dave opened his doors to the public.
His nerve shattering restorations and customs have been racking up the
national awards ever since. From that first two-car garage, Totally Auto
moved to a 6000 square foot shop, then onto 8800 square feet, which was later
expanded to 17,600 (shown below) square feet of shop space. (we've since moved on to our
new location, a restored dealership)

Over the years, Dave developed a reputation as one of the best builders
on the east coast. Before he knew it, his accumulated Mopar knowledge and
his attention to detail that borderlines insanity had him well prepared and
hard at work judging car shows. As Dave states, "It didn't seem like a big
deal, just common sense stuff and the next thing you know they're flying me
out to judge shows half way across the country." In fact, Dave is the founder
of Carlisle's own Standard of Musclecar Excellence. Also drawing from that
knowledge pool are several different car and truck magazines, all of which
print Dave's in-depth technical works as an automotive journalist. Like I
said, this is one busy guy. Always moving forward, Dave's venture into a
restoration parts division, surely helps our hobby move in the right
direction. Being in, around and under nothing but Mopars all day, every day,
has taught Dave a thing or two about what works and what doesn't. The parts
department utilizes that experience to provide do-it-yourselfers with only
the parts and products used in Totally Auto's national-caliber restorations
and customs. Their parts department's service, technical assistance, research
and development work will help the hobbyist get it right the first time with
minimal hassle and maximum results.

So what makes Totally Auto's cars stand alone? Unlike a lot of builders,
Dave's cars don't follow a formula, so there are no cookie-cutter,
look-alike cars coming out of his shop. The only things Totally Auto built
cars have in common are superb workmanship and supreme roadability. So now
you see why building Mopars, as a hobby, created problems for Dave; and what
about those personal projects? Most of them wind up in print as magazine
project cars. Currently he owns several vehicles. Under construction-last
time we checked-was a '71 Plum Crazy Challenger convertible resto and a
pro-street 440-6 'Cuda. In the wings are many more fine examples; a wild '67
GTX custom, and more! Referred to in a recent magazine article as a "Mopar
restorer extraordinaire", Dave told how his shop manages to produce national
award winners on a consistent basis. The best testimony to Dave's abilities
is this-he gives his customers what they want, as well as what he knows they
need. But then, what else would you expect from an old pro?

We participate in many magazine drag shootouts!

BACK TO MAIN PAGE