About Us

(Miguel & Jeff)

They're just a couple of average guys that happen to really like air-cooled Volkswagens.  Jeff and Miguel met at a local VW club meeting in Pasadena, California.  Tired of driving great distances for parts, and getting little or no help from suppliers, they decided to open their own store.  It was in part that they wanted to have parts available for their own projects, and partly because they really saw a need in the air-cooled community to make a positive impact.

Having continuously owned and wrenched on air-cooled Volkswagens since the mid-1980's as a hobby, Jeff decided to take a leap of faith.  He opened the Kaddie Shack, working a full 40 hours a week at his "real" job, a career of 18 years in the RV Industry, and another 40+ hours afterward building a new business from the ground up.  Fortunate enough to have met Miguel, they opened the Kaddie Shack in a Jeff's garage, with just a couple hundred bucks and a prayer. With the goal of helping other VW owners get their rides up and running and in tip-top shape, and pursuing a life-long dream, they set out to have a real shop they could call their own.

(The OG garage)

It started with building Kadron dual carb sets for friends, which Jeff had specialized in, and helping fellow club members repair and modify their cars.  It grew from there.  Soon, Hot VW's took notice, as did many in the air-cooled Volkswagen community.  After tirelessly working shows and events for little or no profit, selling parts out of the garage, and helping many people with their projects, they got a break.  A storefront became available around the corner from Jeff's house in Pasadena, less than a block away.

Another leap of faith was required, and they took it.

(The Pasadena shop)

The Kaddie Shack was no longer working on "Kaddies" (Kadron carburetors) out of a "Shack" (the garage), they now had a retail store where they would continue to grow and develop a worldwide following.  Fair pricing, a genuine concern for customer's needs, many long and arduous hours, and a desire to test and develop new technology brought them more business.  They continued by building only top-qulity high performance air-cooled engines, front lowered and narrowed beams, and helping customers with their projects.

In the spring of 2023, after 10 years at the Pasadena location, Kaddie Shack moved to a larger facility in Temple City, California, about 6 miles from the original shop.  It's been a bit of a journey, but it's also an upgrade that has been well worth the effort it's taken to move in.  Please swing by if you're in the neighborhood and say hi.

(The new Temple City location)

Jeff and Miguel have not forgotten the key reasons behind their success.  They continue to work very hard to help each individual customer reach their goals for their cool rides.  Striving for excellence in every interaction, they understand your needs, and continue to be genuinely cool guys to work with.

"Someday, we hope to be in the Kaddie Castle, but we will never forget the good old-fashioned work ethic that brought us to where we are today", says Miguel. 

Jeff adds, "We're going to continue to work exceptionally hard for each and every customer's business, and for every penny we make, no matter what. Our customers are our life. They provide food for our families, and are a blessing to us.  And besides that, we love VW's. It doesn't get much better than doing what you really love to do for a living."