Rave Imports aims to serve former Stutz Volvo patrons

LYNN – Volvo Master Mechanics Dave Kaplan and Ryan McShay worked together for much of the past decade at the former Stutz Volvo in Salem and later at 128 Volvo in Wakefield.Kaplan, 46, originally of Salem, and McShay, 24, of Peabody, saw the need for an independent Volvo repair shop to serve the Greater Lynn area since the North Shore landmark Stutz dealership closed in 2011 after more than 50 years. They also believed they could offer the same or better service to customers as dealerships, but at half the cost.So they went to work on a business plan and on Craigslist found an available garage with an automobile lift and plenty of parking at 113 Fayette St. in Lynn. Rave Imports – Rave derived from a combination of the owners? first names – opened on March 23 and, in just four months time, Kaplan and McShay have amassed a stack of testimonials from happy customers.The new business owners took a break from their work last Wednesday to discuss their shop and business philosophy.?I always dreamed of opening up my own shop,” said McShay. “My first car was a 1961 Volvo 544. I ended up fixing it up, put a new engine in it, and sold it to a guy in California.”Kaplan, who has been repairing Volvos for 30 years, said, “Watching what goes on at dealerships, I always felt I could do it for half the money and twice as well. When you go into a dealership, a lot of times you have these young kids right out of high school working on your car at $100 an hour. You come here and you get a master mechanic for half of that.”Kaplan called McShay, “the sharpest young tech I?ve ever run into,” adding, “I don?t think I would have jumped into my own shop if that wasn?t the case. He is full of enthusiasm.”While Rave Imports repairs all import vehicles, Kaplan said the shop specializes in Volvos. “That?s the market we?re really looking to tap now. Now that Stutz is closed, people don?t have a place to bring their car [locally].”In addition to price, the shop owners said they extend a lot of extras to customers, including shuttle pick-up and drop-off service, extended business hours and quick turnaround time.?Our business hours are ?What do you need??” Kaplan said. “We?ll stay all night if we have to ? Our concept going in is that people hate to get their car fixed because no one budgets for it, but also because it?s a hassle for them to miss work. That?s why we?re here late. If people want to drop their car off a 6 or 7 in the evening, we?re here. Or we?ll pick them up, drop them off, and take the hassle out of car repair.?If you need it fixed today because you?re going on a trip, we?ll get it done,” Kaplan added.Provided parts do not have to be ordered, McShay said, referring to a car in the shop garage, “If we have the parts there?s nothing we couldn?t get done on this car that wouldn?t be done tomorrow.”Rave Imports also has the latest diagnostic tools, McShay added.Kaplan and McShay said as long as Volvo owners keep up with scheduled maintenance, the cars on average last three times that of most American makes and models.?I had a ?98 S70, kept up with the maintenance obviously, and I drove it to 368,000 miles,” McShay said.Kaplan added, “It?s not uncommon for us to get a car in here with 300,000 miles on it. American cars are pretty much done after 100,000 miles ? I?m driving a 25-year-old 740 right now.”The pair also referenced Babylon, N.Y. resident Irvin Gordon, the subject of a July 12 Associated Press feature story, who then was just 34,000 miles from turning 3 million miles on the odometer of his red two-door 1966 Volvo P1800. Gordon has held the Guinness World Record for High Mileage Vehicle since 2002.Contact Rave Imports, 113 Fayette St., Lynn, at 603-380-8057, or visit the shop?s website www.sites.google.com/site/raveimportsinc/home.Sean Leonard can be reached at [email protected].