Business Profile

RJ CARS-Still Fresh From The Barn-30 Years Later

Words Barry Alt, photos Darren Ohara: Gearing up for the 30th anniversary of the successful restoration business Russell Jacobs started in 1989, he looks back on his experiences and plans for the road ahead. “I started dragging old cars home when I was 14 years old, to my mom’s family farm, working on anything old […]

Driving for Change in the Digital Automotive Marketplace

Words Natasha Wright, photos Barry Alt:    When Barry Alt first launched Motorhead Digital he knew there were automotive businesses ready for a higher level of performance in their digital marketing. As a serious car enthusiast, he also understood what these businesses had to offer. Barry spent his high school years attending an automotive trade

Morrisville College Automotive Program

Words Bob Sblendorio, photos Thomas Sblendorio:    “I love it — why else would I drive three hours a day to come and work here,” explained Ron Alexander, an instructor and the Department Chair of the automotive program at Morrisville College.  He’s not alone in his passion because 15 of the 16 instructors in the

Saratoga Auto Museum

When you think of horse racing and New York State, it is almost impossible for Saratoga Springs not to come to mind. Dating back to 1863, it is arguably one of the most important pieces of history in the whole state. All summer the local news stations report on the latest odds, race results, and

Upstate Imports Auto Repair

Words by Bob Sblendorio and photos by Dalton Dobson:    Passion — is when you work on cars all day long, all week for your business — and to relax, you work on your personal cars.  Oh yeah, when you really want to relax, you build racing go-karts with your sons.  That’s a passion!  Meet

Corvettes of New York State Exhibit

Words Bob Sblendorio, photos Thomas Sblendorio:     The cover features a very special 1964 Corvette that was recently donated to The Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum.  That car was on display at the 1964 World’s Fair in NYC and is now back in New York…that’s huge!  It is fuel injected and has 15 coats of

The Man, The Legend – Ray Hedger

Words Bob Sblendorio, photos Thomas Sblendorio: Nike’s famous slogan is “Just Do It.”  Meet Ray Hedger, a master at fabricating, and whose work many people feel is legendary.  When I asked about the skills to perform the highly specialized work as a fabricator, I was told, “I just started doing it.”  In other words…the skills are

Behind the Scenes At Counting Cars

“Danny [Koker] fights tooth and nail to keep it real because car people know when you are faking it.  We do everything we can to keep it real, the stories are real, the cars are real, and it’s the reason it takes so long to do the episodes,” explains Kevin Mack from the popular TV

Rim Doctor

It never ceases to amaze us here, at Apex Automotive Magazine, the range and talent of the automotive businesses that exist in Upstate NY. For example, when a 1972 Lamborghini Miura wheel made of magnesium has a hairline crack the wheel needs to be replaced, right?   Wrong!  Meet the experts at Rim Doctor! A

Ralph’s Collision

As a young boy growing up in the Oneida area, I can still remember driving by Ralph’s Collision on Route 5 on our way to Walmart. It was hard to miss, Ralph always had all sorts of classic and modern sports cars parked out front to get people’s attention, a practice that he still continues

The Anti Stealership, Dealership

As a car guy, I have always had this weird interest in car dealerships and the car buying experience. I sometimes like to daydream about what it would be like if there was a dealership that you could walk into and talk to a true enthusiast who wasn’t just trying to sell you something, but

The Carbone Auto Group & The Car That Started It All

Words Bob Sblendorio, photos Thomas Sblendorio:     With just a third grade education and $40 saved from working on the family’s dairy farm, Joe Carbone, son of immigrant parents, started a car service garage in 1929 that has grown into a multi-million dollar network  of dealerships and other businesses. The Carbone Auto Group is

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