The Creative Workshop

I would like to share my thoughts with someone who might be considering the use of Creative Workshop to restore, refine, or resolve issues with their automobile. First a small bit of my background… As a professional automobile designer and product design engineer for many years than I would like to admit, I can tell you that I am a car enthusiast with a high level of hands on experience in design, fabrication, manufacturing and engineering. My experience has carried me from early car renderings to the use of current CAD software and 3D modeling. So I feel like I can provide an honest assessment of the work and ethics of The Creative Workshop. I hope this is helpful. I have known Jason and Mike since the shop opened and have had work performed there with exemplary results. I have been there countless times for advice, guidance and because I am a car geek and enjoy seeing interesting automotive design solutions. I have worked with Formula 1 designers on my projects and with the top automotive design engineers and fabricators in the UK and US. I have been to Pebble over 15 times and Amelia many times. The work that is done at Creative is in a category in that realm. This is not a job for Jason and Mike… and I am referring to them because I know them well and can speak to their honesty. They are in love with what they do and take it very seriously. They are not always working with clients that are informed and prepared for the deep dive of a restoration or even just bringing a portion of the project to authenticity. It can be a serious task and not unlike the planning a medical team might take before a brain tumor is removed. All jobs are not like that of course. However, in a shop like Creative many are. Jason has explained in his interviews the extent of some of the research and depth they go to to get the appropriate solutions to problems of authenticity so I will not waste your time repeating it…but I can assure you it is very very very accurate. I have only the highest regard for their work and their approach… I will leave you with this thought to put it in some prospective… Go online or to a garage sale and buy a moderately complex product like a vintage toaster or an old vintage bicycle or lawnmower and restore it to absolute perfection. Duplicate the paint, the graphics, the fasteners, the exact finishes and of course restore it internally so it performs exactly like it was originally designed finding all the exact components as it was originally engineered. When you are finished then you will have a bit of an understanding of what goes on behind those Dade County Pine barn doors at The Creative Workshop…good luck with that 1950’s toaster. Cheers

It really pains me to leave this review as my initial experience with The Creative Workshop was great but the place just isn’t the same since Tony, the former General Manager left. I just don’t trust the new General Manager, Rodney Keyzer. The service I received from Rodney was very poor. My car sat around for weeks in their storage facility before it was even brought to their shop. When I finally did get it back, I had to bring it back a few more times for issues that should have been addressed while it was still there. I know classic cars are finicky, and they may work one day but not the next, but there were things that were done to my car that were unnecessary and it didn’t take very much for the next shop that I took it to, to get it right. The thing that really got me was the 3rd time I had to bring my car back to The Creative Workshop was when I asked Rodney to go with me for a test drive so I could show him and have him hear what the issues were and he REFUSED to go with me, which I thought was very odd for a General Manager not to do. Tony always went with me to drive the car and hear it. It seems to me that there has been a big turnover in employees at The Creative Workshop since I first started bringing my car to them. My advice is to stay away from that shop.

As you can see from many of their reviews, they are "good." LOL If you have an open check book go ahead and take your car there. For me it was a total disaster. I brought them a 58 corvette with dual 4 barrels and told them upfront I am not rich and just want the car to be sound and not leave me on the side of the road. After $30 grand and over 3 months I got the car back but only after I told them I was done, just finish it. I told Tony the manager immediately something was wrong with the car. I told him the car smells of gas to the point where I had to take a shower and wash my clothes after driving it. I also told him that the car had no power. His response to me was "old car buddy" totally dismissing me and any knowledge I have of cars. I put up with it for a while and told them again on two other occasions the same thing. Now the response was "we have no time for you." I took the car to a very reputable mechanic. He called me 2 hours later and sent photos of the carburetors. Creative Workshop installed the jets improperly. They placed the big jets on one side of the carburetors and they were dumping gas and washing out 3 of the cylinders. He also sent me photos of the accelerator pumps and they were not replaced. We then opened the box of spare parts that Creative gave us and what was inside? Brand new accelerator pumps. They didn't even put them on!!!!! When I questioned them, they told me the mechanic was an F1 Mechanic and he doesn't make mistakes. The arrogance of this shop is unlike anything I have ever seen. So, tread with caution. They charged me $4,500 to rebuild 2 carburetors. Plus they charged me over $500 to test drive my car. Oh yes, they charge you to check their own work. To me this is a crime. One must also question, if they test drove the car and could not figure out there was seeming wrong with the car, do they even know cars? My new mechanic drove the car one block and new immediately there was something wrong. He charged me $700 to fix their mistakes and the car runs like a top. So, if you want to spend over 6 times what other shops charge and take the chance of being treated like an idiot and talked down to, Creative is your place to go.

I had the absolute pleasure of meeting the fantastic folks at Creative Workshop summer of '16 while assisting a new client with the purchase of a classic Jaguar. Frankly, I'm not one for writing reviews, but my experience on this trip prompted me to share my beyond positive experience with this business and its incredible staff. Incredibly talented, first rate team across the board and just a wonderful group of people. These folks are world-class- Thank you all for your hospitality!

The entirety of my experience with The Creative Workshop was extraordinary. I own a 1978 VW Bus. It is a vehicle that belonged to my beloved grandfather and a treasure chest of valuable memories for my family. Not only did I want to preserve the aesthetic integrity of my VW Bus, but I also wanted to feel assured that it was mechanically sound. It was incredibly important to me to find the right shop. I wanted a solid partner with me throughout the restoration process. For me, the integrity of the shop had to equal to their level of expertise and skill. I also knew this would not be an inexpensive endeavor and, as a woman who was new to the restoration experience, I was especially sensitive that I might be taken advantage of if I ended up with the wrong shop. I researched restoration shops throughout the Southeast and interviewed The Creative Workshop. The process started with a phone call with Tony, the General Manager, and then a visit to the shop where I received a tour and met with Jason, the founder of The Creative Workshop. They inspected my Bus, asked detailed questions about my goals for the restoration, and described the path forward. I had found the right partner. Throughout the restoration, there was a great level of care, proactive communication, and expert guidance on the decisions that needed to be made. There was never any pressure – options were presented to me so that I could determine how extensively I was willing to venture. Tony would regularly call with updates, and he would send me photos. He also informed me of key developments that he thought I might want to see in person. It was gratifying to stop by the shop to witness the progress on my Bus. Each time I visited and saw the team working, I just had this sense that every person touching my Bus had great passion for their craft and felt it was an honor to be working on my project. The transformation of my Bus was a deeply personal experience and one I will always remember. When my family met Tony, Jason, and The Creative Workshop team to take delivery of the Bus, we were overcome with emotion. This was a reunion with our family’s time capsule. It was a transformation that far exceeded anything we could have imagined. And then, we got to drive it! That was remarkable. Not only is this VW Bus beautiful, but she runs like a dream. I took on this restoration project to honor my grandfather. I never expected that I was also joining the family of caring craftspeople at The Creative Workshop. I also never anticipated that I might consider another restoration project, but I sure am thinking about it. And I know exactly which shop will take care of my next one!