Welcome to Fred’s Autohaus, serving Las Vegas Corvette enthusiasts for over 25 years. Belgium born, father-son team of Fred Jr., 35, and Fred Sr., 62, migrated their Mercedes Benz focused shop to Las Vegas in 1981. Being self proclaimed Chevy nuts and having owned “more Corvettes than we can count”, expanding beyond Mercedes was only natural.

Before

Driver side interior

Passenger side interior

Dash panel being rewired

Corvette Engine MIA

The old engine

Old meets new

Existing brakes

As the sho’fr community knows, and Fred Jr. likes to point out, the passion Corvette owners have for their vehicles is unequaled, and borders on obsessive. Fred quickly rattles off some recent projects, a restored ‘64 convertible, a 1972 being featured in a local model home, or the 1964 that “turned out so beautifully”, the owner is scared to drive it. So while the Autohaus may continue to be a Mercedes Benz shop, their passion truly lies with the all-american sports car. And when asked about working on these iconic cars, Fred Jr. replies “it’s fun, entertaining, and customers appreciate what we are doing for them”.

It’s the shop floor of the Autohaus where the action happens. With room to park about 20 cars, Fred’s operates with six above ground bays, and the shop floor is where you’ll find Jr or Sr virtually every day. An authorized AC Delco, Motorcraft, and Bosch service center, Fred insists on using the right parts for the right job. This means all Corvette oil changes in the Autohaus are done with real Mobile 1 and an authentic AC Delco oil filter. Maintaining honest, proper maintenance and warranty records is gospel in the Autohaus, and Fred is quick to advise customers on the importance of authentic restorations.

After

Driver side, ready to go

Seats, Dash, Carpet

A New ZZ4 GM Crate Motor

New engine finds a home

Shiny Brakes

The final product!

So today Fred may be elbow deep (or further) in the latest restoration project, getting it ready for the street and showroom, but the Autohaus offers services for all Corvette owners. From oil changes and window tinting to complete exhaust systems, cold air intakes, and header and cam packages, Fred’s Autohaus can advise you on the right combination of parts and service to keep your Corvette singing.

Just one of the plethora of project cars that temporarily made it’s home at Fred’s Autohaus this past year was a 1965 C2, owned by Jim Mason. Originally purchased in 2007, via Corvette Trader out of San Diego, the Vette was a “real looker, but extremely tired mechanically” and it needed some very serious attention.

Staying true to the sho’fr philosophy of choosing a service provider, Jim wasn’t prepared to entrust his Corvette with just anyone. He spent quite a bit of time researching shops, including visiting multiple locations. But it was a visit with Fred Sr. where he was impressed by their obvious attention to detail, that eventually this ‘65 landed in one of the Autohaus’s six bays.

At the Autohaus it stayed for several months as Phase I (engine, drivetrain, suspension, etc) was completed. The highlight of the rebuild is a brand new GM Performance Parts ZZ4 350 cid crate motor. Phase II (brake boost, wiring, vintage air) moved a bit quicker at just a few weeks. The rest of the rebuild included: all new pulley system, rebuilt transmission, new shocks and springs, upper and lower front a-arms, new rear leaf springs, all new bushings, new wiring harness, new steering box, and power brake boost.

It’s true Chevrolet offered a Milano Maroon in 1965, but this paint job is not original. Coding suggests the car was built white, but the car now sports a color similar to the Anniversary Red that was offered on the 2003 Corvette.

With a final price tag approaching $60k, this lady comes out of the garage about once a week, “to stretch her legs”, where she’ll light the streets on fire, and make the mobs go the wild. While this real weekend cruiser puts most onlookers and innocent bystander into a trance, there is a fair share of comments and praise when Jim and his Corvette hit the pavement. On the road, at the pump, in the parking lots, “I have never in my life had so many people show such passion for a car”. For those wondering what could be next up for this monster resto-mod, asking Jim about moonlighting her as a show car receives a sly response, “we’ll see”.

So if you have a restoration project on the horizon, consider Fred’s Autohaus in Las Vegas. Just beware of “the big W”, warns Fred Jr. “If they can get the wife to agree with every and anything and the wallet can handle it, I can make your dreams come true.”