After nearly 50 years in business, Corvette Specialty in San Diego is closing. Owner Dave Meyer is retiring. Decades of cars, parts, and shop tools are going up for auction as he prepares to leave his garage on El Cajon Boulevard.
Meyer told NBC 7 San Diego that the property is in escrow. Inside the Normal Heights shop, he showed the station leather seats and new door panels. He also talked about the work he has loved for much of his life.
Retirement will give him more time with his family and a chance to volunteer. He has reached the point where, as he put it, “It’s time.”
For Corvette owners, the sale reaches well beyond spare parts. Whole cars are on the list, and some will need plenty of work before they can return to the road.
One Last Look
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The Cal Auctions listing includes a maroon 1966 Corvette convertible with its engine removed. Assorted engine parts come with it, but the buyer will have to arrange towing.
A green 1971 Corvette has its own hurdle: a fuel delivery problem has left it unable to run. Its removable roof panels are included, and it also must be towed away.
Other lots include a 1993 Corvette coupe with a six-speed manual and a 1957 Corvette project. The older car needs major work inside and out. It comes without a title or keys and is being sold for parts only.
Jason Hanks, who is helping with the sale, told NBC 7 that his team had spent weeks sorting through the shop. Alongside the cars are tools made for Corvettes and other Chevrolets, plus equipment used for general auto repairs.
A Long Run
Meyer’s business began in La Mesa in 1977, according to a 2011 Voice of San Diego profile. He worked on cars with his father before he was old enough to drive. Later, he served on a Navy minesweeper off Vietnam.
That profile described the shop as a place to buy a car, get one fixed, or spend time with fellow car fans. By then, Meyer had been at the El Cajon Boulevard location for about 20 years.
“A little sad,” Meyer told NBC 7 about the closing. Speaking about his career, he reached for an old saying: “If you do something you love to do, you never work a day in your life.”
The Final Bids
Bidding is scheduled to begin closing at 10:37 a.m. Pacific on Tuesday, November 10. Cal Auctions adds an 18% buyer’s premium. Bids placed in the final minute extend bidding by one minute.
The shop is at 3340 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego. Pickup is by appointment, with removal windows set for November 12 and 13.