Ava Gregory shares her automotive journey, from her first car, a 1999 Honda CR-V, to her exciting new project of building a 1969 VW Baja Bug. After totaling her first car in a hydroplaning accident, she fell in love with the automotive world, leading her to work at Atlanta Motorsports Park and eventually Hagerty. The conversation touches on her experiences with classic cars, her passion for storytelling in the automotive space, and her podcast focused on women in motorsports. Ava's enthusiasm and unique perspective make for an engaging discussion.
Hosts Christian and Doug welcome Eva Gregory—Hagerty insider, "Be Differential" podcast host, and lifelong Volkswagen fan—to dive into automotive nostalgia, first‑car memories, and her next big auto adventure: converting a 1969 VW Beetle into a Baja Bug for off-road adventures.
Discover the enduring appeal of Volkswagen Beetle culture, off-road conversion possibilities, and how automotive media careers develop from personal car passion. Eva's automotive journey reveals the intersection of professional automotive journalism and personal project car ownership, plus insights into Hagerty's role in classic car culture preservation and automotive media.
Perfect for Volkswagen enthusiasts, Beetle owners considering Baja conversions, automotive media professionals, and classic car culture fans. Whether you love air-cooled VWs, off-road adventures, or automotive journalism, this episode celebrates authentic enthusiasm in professional automotive media settings.
*** Your Favorite Automotive Podcast - Now Arriving Weekly!!! ***
Listen on your favorite platform and visit https://carsloved.com for full episodes, our automotive blog, Guest Road Trip Playlist and our new CAR-ousel of Memories photo archive.
Don't Forget to Rate & Review to keep the engines of automotive storytelling—and personal restoration—running strong.
"...there's a picture of me in that you took of that Ferrari in 2004 that we rented at the F, was it 348, 348, 348 TS."
The Ferrari 348 TS is a sports car made by Ferrari that was popular in the early 1990s. It has a powerful engine and is known for its sleek design and speed.
The Ferrari 348 TS is a mid-engine sports car produced by Ferrari from 1989 to 1995. It features a 3.4-liter V8 engine and is known for its distinctive styling and performance characteristics.
"...I saw an old Jeep Renegade and traffic, old, old, beautiful, perfect. But anyway, toss it over to you."
The Jeep Renegade is a small SUV that is great for both off-roading and city driving. It has a unique look and is popular for its ability to handle rough terrain.
The Jeep Renegade is a subcompact SUV that combines off-road capability with urban practicality. It's known for its distinctive styling and versatility, making it popular among both off-road enthusiasts and city drivers.
"You sent a picture of, was it a CRX? It was a first gen Honda CRX and my day amazing shape black and, you know, after looking"
The Honda CRX is a small car that was made by Honda. It's known for being fun to drive and is often loved by people who enjoy cars.
The Honda CRX is a compact car that was produced by Honda from 1983 to 1991. It is known for its lightweight design and sporty handling, making it a popular choice among car enthusiasts.
"I’m like, wow, there’s a pinstripe on it, a red pinstripe and even more interesting, the pinstripe wasn’t faded."
A pinstripe is a thin line of color that is added to a car's surface. It makes the car look nicer and can show off the owner's style.
A pinstripe is a narrow line of paint or tape that is applied to a vehicle's body, often used for decorative purposes. It can enhance the appearance of the car and add a touch of personalization.
"...I have a 69 Beetle that's been living up in Pennsylvania for the past couple of years. And next month, I'm going to go pick it up and drive it down..."
The Volkswagen Beetle is a small car that was very popular in the past. The 1969 model is one of the classic versions that many people love to restore and modify.
The Volkswagen Beetle is a classic car known for its distinctive shape and history as one of the best-selling cars of all time. The 1969 model is part of the original Beetle generation, which has a cult following among car enthusiasts.
"...so I can baha it out and begin that build to hopefully compete in it pretty soon here."
A baja build is when you change a car, like a Volkswagen Beetle, to make it better for driving on rough, off-road surfaces. It usually means adding stronger parts and bigger tires.
A 'baja build' refers to modifying a vehicle, typically a Volkswagen Beetle, for off-road racing, particularly in desert environments. This involves enhancing suspension, adding larger tires, and reinforcing the chassis to handle rough terrain.
"...Ava's first car, which was it was a 99 Honda CRV. And I would like to preface that I did not grow up in the automotive space..."
The Honda CR-V is a small SUV that is known for being reliable and good for families. The 1999 version is one of the earlier models, which many people liked for its spacious interior and good fuel economy.
The Honda CR-V is a compact SUV that was first introduced in 1995 and has become one of Honda's best-selling models. The 1999 model is part of the first generation, known for its practicality and reliability.
"And when that happened, I began hydroplaning and understeering. And when that happened and I went to correct it instead of the wheels that kind of inverting how you would anticipate, they locked up completely."
Understeering is when your car doesn't turn as much as you want it to, making it go straight instead of following the curve of the road. This can happen if the front tires lose grip.
Understeering happens when a vehicle turns less than the driver intends, often due to the front tires losing grip. This can result in the car continuing straight instead of following the intended curve.
"And when that happened, I began hydroplaning and understeering. And when that happened and I went to correct it instead of the wheels that kind of inverting how you would anticipate, they locked up completely."
Hydroplaning is when your car slides on top of water instead of gripping the road. This can make it hard to steer or stop, which is dangerous.
Hydroplaning occurs when a vehicle's tires lose contact with the road surface due to a layer of water, causing the driver to lose control. This can lead to skidding or sliding, as the tires cannot grip the road effectively.
"And when that happened and I went to correct it instead of the wheels that kind of inverting how you would anticipate, they locked up completely. So I actually slid sideways."
Locked up brakes mean the wheels stop turning completely when you press the brake pedal. This can make it hard to steer and can cause sliding.
When brakes are described as 'locked up', it means they are not releasing, causing the wheels to stop turning. This can lead to loss of control, especially during slippery conditions.
"But I slid through a turning lane and then hit a curb. And when I hit the curb, I slipped and rolled two and a half times."
A curb is the edge of the road that is usually made of concrete. Hitting it can hurt your car and cause problems with the wheels or suspension.
A curb is a raised edge along the side of a road or sidewalk, typically made of concrete or stone. Hitting a curb can cause damage to a vehicle's suspension or tires.
"And when I hit the curb, I slipped and rolled two and a half times. And I landed driver's side down and my seatbelt was stuck."
A rollover accident is when a car tips over onto its side or roof. This can be very dangerous and often happens if the car hits something or turns too sharply.
A rollover accident occurs when a vehicle tips over onto its side or roof, often resulting in serious injuries. This can happen due to high speeds, sharp turns, or hitting an obstacle like a curb.
"...with manual steering different than the power steering of the Honda CRV. So what was your second car?"
Manual steering means you have to use more strength to turn the steering wheel because it doesn't have any power assistance. It's different from power steering, which makes it easier to steer the car.
Manual steering refers to a steering system that requires the driver to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel compared to power steering, which uses hydraulic or electric assistance. Manual steering is typically found in older vehicles or performance cars.
"...with manual steering different than the power steering of the Honda CRV. So what was your second car?"
Power steering is a feature in many cars that makes it easier to turn the steering wheel. It uses special systems to help you steer without using too much strength.
Power steering is a system that helps drivers steer the vehicle by using hydraulic or electric actuators to reduce the amount of effort needed to turn the steering wheel. This technology has become standard in most modern vehicles.
"It's typically held at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta."
The Porsche Experience Center is a special place where you can drive and learn about Porsche cars. It's like a theme park for car lovers, where you can try out different models and see how they perform.
The Porsche Experience Center is a facility where enthusiasts can experience Porsche vehicles through driving experiences, track days, and other events. It's designed to immerse participants in the Porsche brand and its performance capabilities.
"...hosts the Snowball Derby, which a lot of our listeners will know."
The Snowball Derby is a famous car race that happens every year in Florida. It's a big event where many skilled drivers compete, and it's known for being very exciting.
The Snowball Derby is an annual short track race held in Pensacola, Florida, known for attracting top drivers from various racing series. It's considered one of the most prestigious events in short track racing.
A short track race is a car race that happens on a small oval track. Because the track is smaller, the cars are often very close to each other, making the race exciting and fast-paced.
A short track race refers to a type of auto racing that takes place on smaller oval tracks, typically less than one mile in length. These races often feature close competition and intense action due to the limited space.
"...because every Volkswagen tells the story I've heard."
Volkswagen is a car company from Germany that makes many popular cars. They are known for their quality and unique designs.
Volkswagen is a well-known German automotive manufacturer famous for producing a range of vehicles, including the iconic Beetle and the Golf. The brand is recognized for its engineering and reliability.
"I do have I have a 72 Volkswagen, Carmen Dia and I actually, Carmen Dia was the dream and it was I couldn't afford it."
The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia is a stylish classic car that looks like a sports car but is built using parts from the popular Volkswagen Beetle. It was made from the 1950s to the 1970s and is loved for its unique design.
The Volkswagen Karmann Ghia is a classic car that combines the body of a sports coupe with the mechanical components of the Volkswagen Beetle. It was produced from 1955 to 1974 and is known for its distinctive design and style.
"I have an Audi A4 as it's my daily, but the Carmen Dia I do use most weekends"
The Audi A4 is a car that is comfortable and has good performance. It's a popular choice for people who want a nice car to drive every day.
The Audi A4 is a compact executive car known for its blend of performance, comfort, and technology. It's popular among drivers looking for a reliable daily driver with a premium feel.
"...they were very heavily involved in classic air-cooled German vehicles. And then some newer 996 was one of my first memories with friends there."
Classic air-cooled German vehicles are older cars from brands like Volkswagen and Porsche that don't use water to cool their engines. Instead, they rely on air to keep the engine temperature down, which was common in many cars before the 1990s.
Classic air-cooled German vehicles typically refer to older models from brands like Volkswagen and Porsche that use air-cooled engines, which were common before the shift to water-cooled engines. These vehicles are often celebrated for their design and engineering.
"I got really involved in working on those vehicles and worked on some air-cooled horses, specifically a 79 9-11 SC that was built to mimic an East African safari rally race."
The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car that many people love because of its unique shape and fast performance. It's been around for a long time and is often used in races, which makes it special to car fans.
The Porsche 911 is a high-performance sports car that has been in production since 1964, known for its distinctive design and rear-engine layout. The 911 has a rich motorsport heritage, including various models built for rally racing, making it a significant vehicle in both automotive history and enthusiast culture.
"...just getting to experience with a visceral feeling of an air-cooled vehicle is."
Air-cooled vehicles are cars that cool their engines using air instead of water. This is common in older cars, like some Porsches, and gives them a special feel when driving.
Air-cooled vehicles use air to cool their engines instead of liquid coolant. This design is often found in classic cars, like many Porsche models, and offers a unique driving experience due to the engine's distinct sound and characteristics.
"Yeah, the goal has always been a three fifty six. And I that has been the goal since the beginning and it's an affordability. It's getting there, right? I'm on the journey. I'm in the family, but specifically a split window three fifty six is really just that has stolen my heart."
The Porsche 356 is an old sports car made by Porsche. It was popular in the 1950s and 1960s and is loved for its fun driving experience and stylish design.
The Porsche 356 is a classic sports car produced by Porsche from 1948 to 1965. It is known for its lightweight design and agile handling, and it played a significant role in establishing Porsche as a prominent sports car manufacturer.
"but specifically a split window three fifty six is really just that has stolen my heart. I I have memories in three fifty sixes and driving, being a passenger."
A split window is when the back window of a car is divided into two parts by a bar in the middle. It's a unique style that some people really like, especially in older cars.
A split window refers to a design feature in some classic cars, including the Porsche 356, where the rear window is divided into two sections by a vertical bar. This design is often sought after by collectors for its distinctive look.
Select text to request an explanation
Welcome back to all the cars I've loved before your authoritative podcast on automotive nostalgia.
Where our guests are unique, each auto has an era, and every car tells a story.
So you know, yes indeed, you know it's time to plug in, get a little grease under the
fingernails and slip on that favorite car thing, t-shirt, hat, or jacket.
So let's welcome back listeners all over this fine country in globe, we call it Cars Love
Nation.
Hey, for the first time, Doug, have you ever heard of Kazakhstan?
I have.
Other side of the planet.
First time we've had a listener there.
Really excited.
We have some return listeners from Ireland.
I was there last summer.
The driving is just a little bit of a head scratch.
Other side of the road.
Very narrow road.
I don't know why there have to be immovable rock walls covered in IV very close to the
road.
A lot of trickery, but the car came back in one piece.
Hey, welcome back listeners to San Antonio, Texas, Portland, Oregon, Plano, Texas, Columbia,
Maryland.
That's close to you.
It is.
Detroit, Michigan.
Motor City.
Motor City in Tucson, Arizona.
By the way, I think half of those cities are in the song Route 66.
That's just struck me.
Remember that song?
I did.
Route 66.
I mean, I think.
Get your kicks.
Get your kicks on Route 66.
Yeah.
Now, I, you know, a couple of years ago, I visited Amarillo, which I think in, and
they had like the historic 66, kind of where the whole thing started as big plaque
and a sign.
And I got kind of a duplicate sign hanging up in my, I'll take a picture.
Maybe we can get that on the photo carousel.
Please.
Please.
Hey, yeah.
So do we have any new photos for the carousel?
I think you did a lot of, or speaking of, you did a lot of work on that.
So let's chat about the website for a moment before we bring today's guests into our
garage.
Okay.
So, yeah, so I dug up a lot of pictures from our past.
Yes.
My past.
And our listeners passed too, right?
Our listeners passed.
Yeah.
They sent us pictures.
Yep.
We, we love pictures from our listeners too.
You don't have to be on the show to submit a picture.
Send us a great one.
So, yeah, I've been updating that, you know, it went from three to, I don't know,
12.
There's a picture of me in that you took of that Ferrari in 2004 that we rented
at the F, was it 348, 348, 348 TS.
Yep.
Yep.
Yeah.
Yep.
And that was good times.
That was good times.
I don't recommend the top down in Vegas in August in the middle of the day.
It's the greatest thing in the world, first thing in the morning, but, but, you know,
we did that.
We did the whole circuit.
We did the strip.
We did Hoover Dam.
And then, you know, when it was time to bring it back noon time, we were melting.
Dream car rentals, by the by, if, if, if dream car rentals feels like sponsoring.
Yeah.
So thanks for the update on the site.
Good news.
And yeah, visit carslove.com is what we're talking about carslove.com.
You can reach out to us over email, which a lot of people like you Christian at carslove.com.
He's Doug at carslove.com or info at carslove.com.
I guess we just hired this guy named info and that's his email address.
So feel free to reach out to him.
Right.
He's a new hire.
I don't know.
Yeah.
And info for short.
Speaking of, so pinstripe, you, you were, you were out in the bell and it was a little
bit of a, man, I gotta tell you, we love, we send pictures of cars back and forth to
each other.
Oh, I got to send you this picture of, I'm all into jeeps right now, jeepshow,
whatever.
And I want to buy an old Jeep.
That's my latest obsession that if I weren't paying for kids to go to college, I would get
but, and I saw an old Jeep Renegade and traffic, old, old, beautiful, perfect.
But anyway, toss it over to you.
Yes.
You sent a picture of, was it a CRX?
It was a first gen Honda CRX and my day amazing shape black and, you know, after looking
at the picture, I'm like, wow, there's a pinstripe on it, a red pinstripe and
even more interesting, the pinstripe wasn't faded.
It was like perfect.
I would assume somebody had that car repainted, it looked so good and it went through the trouble
to add the pinstripe, but what do you think about pinstripes?
I love them.
I love the fine detail.
I had a car that was just this gorgeous green had the little gold pinstripe down
the side.
Like when they're intricate, yeah, it kind of reminds me of, it comes when I see pinstripe
on a car and it's all got like the maybe the Vondutch styling or curvy and wavy reminds
me of, you know, some tattoos people have on their arm or some like tattoos that something
very personal, very personal.
Yeah.
And you mentioned something about Vondutch, right?
And I think it was Ken Howard or Kenny Vondutch, right?
He became like the guy behind the scenes who made pinstripes popular.
And I don't know if they're still popular on motorcycles, but that was a big place.
Absolutely.
You see it everywhere.
Yeah.
It's one of these things where that that was, you know, that turned out to be his
life's art.
And then it just kind of moved on into the mainstream as its name, you'll see
is kind of his, I don't know if it's its own fashion label, but you will see
it.
I think it is.
Yeah.
Speaking of, let's see.
Sure.
Yeah.
We mentioned at the top of the hour, you got to slip on the shirt.
So you've got, you've got a great one on today.
Yep.
Yep.
So, believe it or not, great deal at Old Navy, back to the future, flying to
Loran, not too gaudy actually.
No.
An Old Navy, if you feel like giving us some money, that's fine too.
But dig it up.
Fantastic.
All right.
So we've talked.
We've given them money for years.
We've talked about, indeed, indeed.
We've talked about shirts.
We've talked about pinstriping.
We've talked about it.
So it is time to pivot and get to today's guest.
So Doug, how did today's very special guests make their way into our virtual garage?
So our very special guest, I, in listening to lots of podcasts, I
came across her podcast, Be Differential, and great, great podcast, all about most,
mostly about women in automobiles and motorsport industries.
And we've had such great, you know, father-daughters, just women who've grown up in the motorsports
or just got involved.
Maybe they wanted to do something with their dad.
Maybe they went to one of the colleges we were stayed, or McPherson, right?
And they just, they wanted students, to professionals, from hobbyists to racers, everybody else.
Ava Gregory, welcome in.
How are you today?
I'm so well.
I'm looking forward to this conversation.
And thank you for having me.
Not as much as we are.
So it's, wow, we're just kind of, kind of having an idol on the show here.
So very pleased that you visited, that you visited our garage.
So what have you been into recently?
What have you, so much going on in your world with the YouTube, the podcast?
Where do you start?
What's the latest?
Yeah, that's a tough question.
I definitely have a lot going on, but I'll actually speak to something that
is about to be a project that I'm beginning.
I have a 69 Beetle that's been living up in Pennsylvania for the past couple of years.
And next month, I'm going to go pick it up and drive it down so I can
baha it out and begin that build to hopefully compete in it pretty soon here.
So that's, that's most pressing, but always ongoing project.
I love that.
So wait a minute.
Pennsylvania, is that where you grew up?
So my family's from up north between Pennsylvania, Connecticut and upstate New York.
But I have my dad's living up there and has been since the last couple of years.
So it's been on his property.
Roger Dodger.
So does it get driven much?
Is there an undercoat of rust on it?
What do you, is that what do we got to work on or?
There's certainly an undercoat of rust.
My dad does start it, but he does not drive it as often as I would probably
like him to, but that's OK.
We're keeping it alive.
And really, I mean, the goal is to drive it down.
It's around a 700 mile trail path from where he lives to where I live.
So the goal is to kind of do a little test run and then do a complete
like through, you know, overhaul of what needs to be done and what needs to be assessed.
So what are the odds it'll make it down driving itself?
We're going to have kind of a trailing car or will you be,
will you be behind the driver's seat of this car while it's on the flatbed
of the 18 wheeler, which is probably what are the odds?
What is Vegas saying about all that?
So I actually daily this car in college is my only vehicle
and I replaced the engine in it myself with one other kind of mentor
and some YouTube videos in 2020.
So I think that the survival rate is actually pretty decent.
And luckily I am very acutely aware of its inner workings.
But if I'm on the side of the road, I have confidence that we can get it back on the road.
Absolutely. So, yeah, you know where all the skeletons are
in that particular rolling closet, which I love.
And I can just feel the waves that Doug's head is about to explode
with all the with all the wonderful avenues of discussion we have here.
Where do we start, Doug?
Where do we where do we go with this right now?
Yeah, well, I think we go back to everybody's first car, right?
Yeah, yeah, in the time machine, right?
It's all my shirt. Let's do it.
And we go all the way back to Ava's first car, which was
it was a 99 Honda CRV.
And I would like to preface that I did not grow up in the automotive space
or have that hobby and interest.
So it was very much point A to point B, what I could afford, what my options were.
So yeah, 99 Honda CRV was my old trusty for multiple years
until until I obliterated it.
But that's OK. Obliterated.
Well, how did before it got obliterated?
How did you find it?
Yeah, actually, my dad found it.
I mean, it was obviously I was young, so it was something he did the, you know,
online searches at the time and came across it.
And it just worked out a really good deal from what I recall.
It was like 3,500 bucks.
Now, I will say this was an older model, even when I purchased it.
So it had quite the life on it already, but it served me many memories.
And it's it's funny.
My daughter's first car is a CRV as well.
I think it's a 2014.
All right, now, let's let's pray to the skies above that it doesn't meet
the same end as Aveston, not that we're at that point yet.
And I don't want to bring up memories and I don't want to step on Doug's
coat, give it away, but
called a segue in media.
Well, you know, it's funny.
We've talked to a few people what happened to your first car.
I think about cash.
He's like, I still have it.
What happened to your second car?
He's like, I still have it, right?
So it couldn't have your first car without a second car.
But what happened to your first car?
So I this is I would also like to preface this is not a testimony of
my driving skills, but I did.
I did total the vehicle.
I had it in college and prior to totaling it, I really did have
so many great memories with this car.
And I went to Georgia or I went to college in North Georgia.
So it was a mountain town.
It was, you know, the start of the Appalachian Trail, whatever.
I used to work at Atlanta Motorsports Park and was on my way to work one day.
And it had just started raining as I was going around this wide curve.
And when that happened, I began hydroplaning and understeering.
And when that happened and I went to correct it instead of the wheels that
kind of inverting how you would anticipate, they locked up completely.
So I actually slid sideways.
And luckily, it was just me.
There was nobody else involved in my car or any other vehicles.
But I slid through a turning lane and then hit a curb.
And when I hit the curb, I slipped and rolled two and a half times.
And I landed driver's side down and my seatbelt was stuck.
And so I just kind of was there for a minute, you know.
And like I said, I was on my way to work.
So I called a colleague, my boss at the time.
And now great mentor and family friend.
But I called him to let him know that I wasn't going to make it in and said,
you know, I got an accident.
I'm OK, but I was still sideways when I was on the phone with him.
And and he said, you know, OK, I'll call him to let them know.
So at that point in time, I had always carried a pocket knife and cut myself
free once I kind of like, you know, came to, I guess, and cut myself free,
climbed out and who he had called.
It was my roommate at the time who was working and got the call that I was in
an accident, so she called my phone and I was just standing on the side of the road
next to my sideways car before any emergency vehicles or anything arrived.
And when the paramedics showed up, I was literally on the call and I was like,
hey, I've got to let you go like they're here.
And when they arrived, they didn't know who got in the accident because I was
truly fine and I walked up to them and said, hey, how's it going?
And they were like, you know, we should ask you that.
And I said, fingers toes moving like we're good.
But unfortunately, cosmetically, because of the age, I did total it.
So that was unfortunate.
And then I got the 69 Beatles.
And it sounds like you're pretty, I don't know at the time,
but you're pretty calm in that scenario.
Yeah, I I really do handle stressful situations and yeah, it was it was so funny.
I just even more a tangent.
But I called an ex-boyfriend at the time to come pick me up because I was about
a mile and a half away from where I lived.
And, you know, I called to say, hey, like, can you just bring me home?
You know, I got in an accident and he pulled up and parked and was just
flabbergasted to see my car sideways.
And he was like, I thought you got in like a fender bender.
And I was like, I would not have called you if I got in a fender bender.
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