by Suzanne Walker
posted May 27, 2006
) Photo by John Wilson Spike and son, Chris, surrounded by their beloved Volvos. Click to enlarge. |
Lots of Chattanoogans have, and they are tickled with their "looks-like-new Volvo."
Spike (real name Curtis Barnes) has been buying wrecked cars and fixing them up since he was in his twenties. At first he specialized in Volkswagens, but when he realized there was a demand for safe cars such as Volvos, he switched.
Ten years ago Spike was on vacation with his family when he started having difficulty breathing. Within a month he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, placed on disability and told by doctors that there was very little he could do. Previous to his illness, Spike was selling cars, but did not have his own business.
Ray Fox, a local attorney and long time friend, told Spike that he could still sell cars and helped him begin his business, B&F Auto (Barnes & Fox), selling wrecked Volvos. "If it weren't for Ray, I probably would not be here," said Spike. "He told me that I couldn't just sit at home."
With each month that passed, Spike's business grew. "It was all by word of mouth," said Spike.
Spike buys salvage cars through insurance auctions in surrounding areas. He now buys cars on a daily basis and has a wrecker driver pick them up. The wrecked Volvos are brought to his business in Alton Park where one of his mechanics repairs the damage. Chris Barnes, 26, Spike's son, has been working for him since the beginning and is an ace mechanic.
On average Spike said about 12 to 15 Volvos are rebuilt each month. For the last three years, he has sold about 150 cars per year.
Spike said he is blessed to have helpful customers who recommend his business, in turn creating a great customer base. Many of his customers have bought several Volvos from him. Over the years, one of his customers has purchased 15 Volvos at B&F.
"You can't beat the safety and gas mileage you can get out of Volvos," said Spike. They are heavy, safe cars, but they get about 28-30 miles per gallon, he said. Many of his customers buy these cars for their children. "I can usually find whatever they want: a certain color, year, or whatever."
Spike said one of his customers, a local teacher, was almost killed when he was hit by a drunk driver. He had to go through months of rehab, but he and his wife believe that he probably wouldn't have survived if he had not been driving their Volvo. "It's good to know that you've made a little difference that changes someone's life," said Spike. "This is a rewarding job."
For part of his childhood, Spike lived with his grandparents, two streets away from where his business is now located. Just two months ago Spike found out from a relative that his dad's mom worked in the building his business is located in when it was a hosiery mill in the 1940's. "It's a really unusual thing," said Spike.
When he was a child, his aunt started calling him Spike and it "stuck bad," he said. Though people are surprised at his name, it works to his advantage in business. "People remember my name. It's been an advantage, believe it or not."
Spike and his wife live on Missionary Ridge in a "historical" house that they got a "deal of a lifetime" on from a customer who works in real estate. "It's our dream house," said Spike. When they moved from the house their kids grew up in, Spike's son bought the house.
Spike's mom, Peggy Quihuiz, works at B&F in customer service. His wife, Ann, is employed at the Hamilton County Courthouse and his daughter, Courtney, 29, works at Primrose.
) Photo by John Wilson Spike's empire at an old hosiery mill in Alton Park |
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