Also, I really have no dog in this fight, and can only offer up that next month I plan to be in LA area and would certainly take the time to drop in on this SoCal enterprise and see what they offer. I think I can see where once upon a time Merklin "refurbished" a pretty nice car, and added some of his signature tweaks. That's what Alan does: he buys cars either in distress or kits, has an excellent nose for a bargain, and a simply superb eye for what is truly cool. I'm pretty sure he sells each of his creations at a profit. He has inflicted this "eye" on many a project with all sorts of starting points. Most recently, and maybe most successfully, he has focused on VW based Speedsters. Alan has a motor guy, a transmission guy, a paint guy, and maybe one or two other "guys" (subcontractors) who he pays to produce some of the magic that is a Merklin re-do. Usually one at a time, out of his garage. I guess using strict adherence to semantics we would not say Alan is a "builder", like Intermecanica, JPS, Special Editions, or Vintage are "builders". They are all much larger enterprises, do some serious designing and building, and produce cars under their own brand. They are builders. SE also does refurbishments, mostly (exclusively??) of cars they have previously built, then they take back and spruce up and resell as used cars, with a certain warranty. In this sense, they in fact have a "car lot" also. They do what Alan does one at a time. It is possible that SoCal got the car that Alan refurbished some time ago, and found that by their standards it needed another refurb. Which could have only involved a good vacuuming and new paint. Or a different engine hood. Without further info from the principles nobody can say.
Does SoCal just buy used cars then fix 'em up and resell them? Or do they salvage VWs, strip them, use the pans and suspension parts plus other new aftermarket stuff, buy splashed FG shells from folks who make those, and cut, weld, and fit all the other stuff from wherever to produce a "new" car. Do they build-to-spec turn-key cars custom ordered by buyers willing to wait for how long that takes? Frankly, I can't tell even from all that has gone down here what the answers to those questions might be. Maybe the answer is: All of the above, but just not in very large numbers ... yet.
Mr SoCal sounds very sincere, and also a little too much like a salesman, using spit and polish words to paint as pretty a picture as possible. And so some BS needles whip over to the right near the peg. But I think he has to do that marketing. . If he can't sell anything, he can't keep this business, so marketing in key. He rightly assesses this Forum as a vital outlet for information and exposure to his market, so is currying favor here. Fine and dandy, so long as he shoots straight; we do not cotton to hucksters. I would cut him some slack on the Madison Avenue-speak IF he also does the right fit and finish on the products (regardless of the origin of those products) , plus has the no-bull-**** customer service to keep owners happy. As the man said: we are indeed a tough crowd. If you measure up and earn the trust, you will find very warm welcome and unflinching support here.
So, no dog in the fight, as i'm not looking to buy a Speedster (already have one) and only wish the best for my fellow (and prospective) SOCers. Any forthright new builder/refurbisher who would wish to be part of the community should find us quite agreeable.