When Miguel followed his now-wife, Linda, from Mexico to California, he realized that moving to a new country was lonely. Without any other friends or family in the area, Miguel turned to restoring and building cars for solace. After his wife announced she was pregnant, he decided to build a convertible, so he and his future children could take road trips up the Pacific Coast Highway.
Though the car was never finished, that project spurred what’s now a successful auto parts business on eBay and provided a whole world of connections for Miguel. No longer lonely, Miguel shares how he went from project car hobbyist to thriving Parts & Accessories seller, growing his family and business while making friends internationally along the way.
Get to know Miguel and Linda in their own words, and visit their shop Wabbit76:
A passion for project cars
Miguel: Since I was a kid, I’ve liked to take things apart and get my hands dirty — and I’ve always wanted to build a car. When my wife became pregnant, I decided to assemble a convertible so that one day I could drive up the Pacific Coast Highway with my daughters.
It turned out my wife was expecting a crib and a stroller, not a convertible. And the car wouldn’t pass a smog check. So I chose to scrap the project before the baby came. There were parts all over our apartment — in the living room, in the bathroom, in the kitchen. I needed to get rid of them somehow, so I thought — why not list them on eBay?
It took me six months to make my first sale, but over time I sold more and more car parts. Eventually, I realized I could make a living on eBay.
Accelerating from one-bedroom apartment to warehouse
Linda: After two years of selling on eBay, Miguel worked up the courage to quit his job and devote himself fully to making this a real business that supports our family.
Miguel: With ample time to spend on the business, I was able to collect more and more pieces. Soon we needed more space, so we moved our inventory into a garage, and then a small warehouse. Over time, we grew into the 2,600-square-foot warehouse where we are now, with room for whole cars. But it all started in our one-bedroom apartment.
Linda: As the business has grown I’ve handled the customer service side of things, answering messages and often translating for Miguel. It’s great to finally feel like we’ve hit the jackpot in this business of car parts.
Sourcing for parts, from backyard to junkyard
Miguel: We’re always on the hunt for auto parts, and I find a lot of them on social media. I reach out to people who have abandoned their project cars to see if I can buy them and restore them in our warehouse. From there, I take the pieces we don’t need and sell them on eBay.
Linda: We also look for cars that no longer pass smog check or were in a snowfall, so we can remove their parts. People have often been holding on to them for a long time in their own backyard or warehouse, and they’re happy to let us take them off their hands.
We travel around to junkyards to source as well, going as far as Washington to look for parts. Traveling together is one of the things we enjoy most about the business — our relationship is much stronger because of it.
Growing a family business
Linda: Our daughters are three and seven, and they’ve been an important part of our business since the beginning. They help carry our packages to the car and they love waiting for the mail carrier. We’re so glad they like being here with us in the warehouse.
Miguel: I feel really fortunate to have the opportunity to work with my wife and build our business together. I’ve been able to travel, spend time with my family, take days off and not be boxed into a job.
Building lifelong global friendships
Miguel: Coming from Mexico, I moved to the U.S. where I had no acquaintances, no friends, no one other than Linda. So the friendships I’ve made through eBay are very important to me.
I’ve made connections with people who I now consider to be a part of my family. I have friends in Belgium, Puerto Rico, Cuba and Mexico. Most of all I have friends in the U.S. who I source parts from and talk with about their project cars.
Linda: The beautiful thing about our business is that we’re building a community. My husband spends hours on the phone talking to friends internationally who have the same passion for cars. It shows my daughters that you can create great friendships throughout the world, even with limited English.
Revving towards a bright future
Miguel: We have big dreams for our business. One day we want to expand so that our warehouse is a place where enthusiasts can bring their project cars and we restore them to their authentic condition.
Linda: Our dream now is not only to drive up the Pacific Coast in a convertible, but to bring a trailer and buy parts wherever we go — making friends along the way. From there we’ll return home and sell the parts to enthusiasts or help them make their own dream cars.
Miguel: We can’t wait to create those memories, not only for us, but for our community. Nothing makes me happier than hearing that someone has completed their build. There’s a lot of magic in what we do, helping people take their cars to the finish line.
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