texan1950 - [email protected] - Randys VW Engine Shop

[steve n]

Randy Brown
Comfort, TX

Randy is a standup guy. I purchased some glass from him and I guess I didn't ask enough questions before buying. When I received the products I was unhappy. Randy refunded my Paypal right away. I would buy from Randy anytime. He is an honest seller.
Steven

Older email
[email protected]

[63ziggy]

I bought a rebuilt Thing tranny from Randy. Everything went smoothly and it arrived all in one piece. Unfortunately I cannot comment on it mechanically. My project is underway. I do not expect any issues. Randy seemed very up front with all my questions during the dealings.

[dragsterman]

Just bought a split bus radio delete plate. Shipped it out right away. Great transaction. Thanks

[63ziggy]

project finally underway last June, been driving for a year now to periodic shows and around the area. no issues. tranny seems to be working great

[Texas Truggy]

A poem about Central Buggy Werks in Comfort Texas, 
The day  you ride with your club,out to the  Werks in your V-Dub,you see that Randy Brown is back from town and is milling around in tub,with wheels an engine and stubs,where he has propped the vehicle for stuff,trying to fix what has rubbed,busted or flubbed,barely the kind o bug that was loved to the specs of things he has dubbed,from 1600 to 1776 , everyone else's is held together with rubber and sticks,hoping to get their's fixed, by the factory trained,sometimes bird brained genius of VW tricks...

My brother and I saw saw this ad on the Sambia classifieds for a well trained VW mechanic in our area with quite an extensive background and history with restoration ,repair and balance of all kinds of VW engines as related to the recent past of 50 years.We have only been tinkering with ours in the past few,with our Kerrville V-Dub club. Well, Randy welcomed our club in, showed us the ropes and multiple issues that can arise with  untrained mechanics,when it comes to the basics to the advanced factory trained werks including machine work. He's the best that I have found,Randy noted,you don't always have to go with crazy mods to get performance with the VW engines,if you start with a balanced engine,and add the correct factory related parts you will always have a great running engine for years to come.Randy squeezed 3 of our vehicles in that had multiple problems created by other mechanics or builders ,and he helped to get us running all while rebuilding 3 other  engines from scratch. Remember Randy works alone,he will give advice ,don't push him to check  your grounds,thats the stuff you should know already,listen,ask questions,you might even learn something while taking a break, earning that beer and his ear.Randy does this work in his retirement,and he is a Veteran of the Air force,so it's not for the money,or he thinks that your funny,he knows how to keep your VW runny!  Sincerely, Mike Olden, part time Comedian...and Navy Veteran..

[jnjne]

I experienced a vintage VW owners worst nightmare...I had mechanical work done by a local San Antonio shop, and when I drove my '79 Westy home from the shop, the oil light began staring back at me. Being a new transplant to the city, I now realized I needed a real air-cooled mechanic willing to listen to me and the problems my bus was having, willing to allow me to be hands-on and involved with knowing exactly both the diagnosis and prognosis of the work necessary, be upfront and honest about any and all issues, willing to share his time and wealth of expertise, and most important, be extremely knowledgeable and experienced, confident, sincere and respectful.

Once I met Randy Brown, I found every one of these qualities in him and his workmanship. He and I collaborated on my issues, and after a few weeks in Randy's dream shop, my bus and I confidently drove back to SA with all major problems repaired. DO NOT pass up calling on Randy for your VW mechanical needs. He is a true master of his craft.

Jay Nordeen, USAF Retired

[AggieZig]

I reached out to Randy looking for someone with experience to build my 1776 longblock. After several bad machine shop experiences, I had a garage full of parts and was not feeling ambitious enough to tackle the bottom end. After a few emails back and forth, Randy agreed to take on my job. He was even willing to work with my "limited" college-kid budget.

I made the drive to San Antonio to delivery my parts. From our first meeting, Randy was nothing but friendly, knowledgable, and professional. Unlike some of the other fly-by-night guys, Randy had documents for me to sign and take home as well as a build sheet. Throughout the build, Randy provided frequent email updates with pictures, statuses, and even a continually updating price tracking sheet. He even completed the build way ahead of schedule.

When I went to pick up my longblock, he was able to meet my schedule and walked me through all that I needed to know to get my new engine started and set up. Doing business with Randy was as absolute pleasure, and I would not hesitate to buy again or recommend to a friend.
_________________
Zig, Aircooled Enthusiast
Current: Porsche 914 Resto | 1969 VW Beetle
Past: 74 Thing | Sand Rail | Baja Project | Oval Beetle

[dragsterman]

Contacted me about some T4 tin; sent payment same day with tracking. Great to deal with! Thanks for your purchase!

[David Knightly]

Randy is great to do business with!! Highly recommended buyer who goes the extra mile!

[doug spencer]

July2016> Doug Spencer, Fredericksburg, Tx
I recently bought my first VW, a '64 Beetle.I noticed Randy Brown's ad on TheSamba.
My experience dealing with Randy was very satisfying. First ,his shop is very clean and organized. He has agreement forms to sign,as you would expect. He communicated thoroughly,texts,photos,and calls, detailing condition,options,and plan of action.He made an exception in my case,allowing me to come over,to watch ,learn and ask questions, something few mechanics would allow. He does not take on more work than he can manage, he,doesn't want to bog down in project vehicles, and repair work, but rather focus on engines. I will not hesitate to call on Randy in the future with my engine concerns,and I believe anyone else can depend on his services.

[Bailey71]

This feedback is a long time coming. Back in October 2016 I reached out to Randy to replace a motor in my 71 std beetle. I came to his shop and we discussed options on replacing the heart of my bug. He did an excellent job and now I am eating up the miles with more confidence than I did with an iffy engine. I will always recommend Randy to anyone who asks about motor work.

[outoftreemonkey]

After searching for months for someone I felt had a long enough History specifically type 4's and not just someone building type 1's for sand rails and willing to take on a type 4 project. I would have loved to go with Jake Raby, but didn't have the 12,000 he requires. Randy built a motor for me for 5,600 that I am happy with. He wasn't willing to ship it so we had to drive form Michigan to Texas. I had a list of concerns and he had already solved all of them. I have since taken the bus on multiple trips ranging from 2500 miles to 800 miles. No issues yet. I will update this post if I do have any issues to convey. Randy does not deny that Jake Raby may build a better motor then himself, he is not sure if what, he does different, but that is a very expensive motor. Randy also suggested I buy a jetted and ready to install dual carburetor from Chico in California, again price was better than anywhere else I researched and it is working well.

[Jake Raby]

[beetlebug69]

Called randy to inquire about a 1776 long block. He was extremely arrogant and unprofessional. I asked a few extremely general questions about a build he had forsale and he said that he doesn't like to give information out on the phone that I need to be there in person and how dare I pick his brain. All I had asked was is there German parts inside the long block (such as crank & rods) he immediately mocked my knowledge of VW's and scoffed saying when was the last time I've seen a german part.

I have NO issue driving to see Randy (400 miles away) if he is worth it, but first impressions mean everything to me and I will NOT waste my time nor spend my hard earned money with attitude and arrogance.

[texan1950]

To bettlebug69
Just wanted to apologize. I do remember our short conversation. Unfortunately
You caught me at a moment in time when I was experiencing some serious back pain and
Having a bad day at that instant..
I have posted a 1776cc Longblock for sale with all the info that you were asking for.
I would be happy to give you a nice discount to make up for my shortfall..
Let me know.. I am really a nice guy..
Again I express my sincere apologizes..

[pjpalm1964]

Randy was a real pleasure to meet at his shop in Comfort Texas. Beautiful piece of property and nice big shop next to his home. I am jealous!

I bought a 1776 motor that Randy started for another customer that did not come through with the cash. Initially I wanted my 1600 long block rebuilt to exact stock specs but I decided to buy the completed motor to get my bug on the road fast and build a stock motor slow.

Got the motor home and had some confusion over the distributor, Randy's text messages, and phone call got me straight, and the engine runs great.

Zipping around in my 71 Super Beetle now with a 1776 with a nice cam and stock 34PICT3 carb. I plan on doing a "perfect original" 1600 engine build and will look to Randy for machine shop help. I love stock, but it sure is fun to have the power of a 1776 motor built by Randy.

Keep up the good work Randy!

Thanks again,
Paul in Round Rock.

[texan1950]

Thanks Paul
I really do appreciate the kind words..
I love to build "extremely high quality" VW air-cooled engines..
Its just in my blood.. since 1969..
My the Lord bless our precious United States of America..
Sincerely, Randy

[Saggs]

I contacted Randy this summer about building me a 1776 motor for my 56 Beetle. I got a lot if info from him and ordered a counter weighted crank from DPR and had it delivered to him along with some other parts. He used a new case, swivel feet adjusters, new heads, etc.. Randy kept me updated with photos as the work proceeded and then we discussed final compression ratio and a few other details. Built a beautiful box to ship the motor in and I could not be happier. The motor runs so smooth and I finally have my webers dialed in so it's a pleasure to drive. I've built a few motors over the years but none have had the smooth, vibration free power that this one does. I can now run that bug up to 70mph in third if I choose to. Anyway, he's in TX and I'm in VT but it worked out great and I plan on having him build me a 2056 T4 conversion for my 67 camper. Very happy with him
_________________
"One man can make a difference...Jesus did."

[D52E]

Randy was a good seller. I purchased 72-79 Engine Thermostat-Cooling Flaps. His communication was great. Shipping was reasonable and prompt. I would do business with him again.

[mondshine]

I am very happy with the 1776 engine that Randy built for me.

From my initial contact with Randy, he was always honest, professional, and businesslike in all respects.

I was furnished with concise and comprehensive paperwork describing the work to be done, the materials to be used, and the usual cautions and warnings for installation and initial startup.

During the build, I received regular updates and progress photos. The engine was completed promptly, and very well crated for shipment.

My conversations with Randy led me to expect a carefully and accurately assembled engine. The engine arrived perfectly intact, after installation and initial startup and break-in, it was clear that my expectations had been satisfied.

I recommend Randy Brown as a qualified, professional and honest engine builder.