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Spotlight On: Shorty’s Speed Shop

Tanner RushMarch 11, 2024

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Spotlight On:
Shorty’s Speed Shop

As part of our ongoing series, we are interviewing people of interest in the community who are having a positive impact on the lives around them.

This time we are interviewing Robert Hardin, owner of Shorty’s Speed Shop.

shorty's speed shop

Robert, can you tell me a little bit about the origins of Shorty’s Speed Shop?

Shorty’s Speed Shop was dreamed up right here in Bishop in Greg Newcomb’s high school auto shop class. I came up with the name while learning about cars in his class and dreamed of opening a performance automotive shop one day. It took from 2000 to 2020 for a version of that dream to finally come to fruition! In 2020, Nicole and I had the opportunity to take over the retiring TJ’s Firing Line (previously Marsh’s Automotive) building. TJ had built a business model that Nicole and I both really believed in. We’ve taken that model and expanded on it and really have made it our own. We are grateful to be able to continue to specialize in Subarus and smogs.

What inspired you to pursue a career in automotive technology, and how did your experiences at Bishop High School and Universal Technical Institute shape your journey in this field?

It really all started with my father, Dave Hardin. He was a local teacher for 33 years and one of his early classes was a small engines class. He always had fun stories of himself and his brothers messing with and having adventures with cars. That eventually translated to him teaching me the very basics and also showed me how fun a car could be and also how important they are to us in our lives. That evolved into four years of autoshop at BUHS and eventually to Universal Technical Institute. Without autoshop in high school, I likely would not have gone onto Universal Tech or automotive repair, honestly. Universal Technical Institute really cemented the building blocks of what it would take to work in the industry.

You’ve worked with Daimler Trucks of North America in different capacities, including fuel economy and research and development. Can you share some insights into the challenges and opportunities you’ve encountered in these roles, and how they’ve influenced your approach to problem-solving in the automotive industry?

My time and experiences at Daimler Trucks (Freightliner) was eye-opening to say the least! I had previously worked on diesel engines in school and transit buses but when I walked into the Daimler R&D shop my jaw hit the floor and I thought I had gotten myself in over my head! Thankfully I fit right in and learned a ton. I helped engineers test all kinds of parts from head gaskets to brakes to 12 volt refrigerators. I helped reach our goal of 5% increase in fuel economy every 5 years with our Supertruck project, hybrid, and all electric semi-trucks. Understanding the build and design process along with failure points and modes really helps you to understand root cause failure versus symptoms. It’s helped my diagnostic and repair procedure more than any other shop or class.

Both you and your wife have diverse professional backgrounds and run additional businesses together. How do you plan to leverage your combined skills and experiences to contribute to the Bishop and Owens Valley Communities?

We both definitely have childhood memories rooted in cars thanks to our fathers. Nicole’s customer service skills come from working at her parents campground/restaurant and Farmers Insurance. Nicole and I also run ShutterMeShort Photography (more on a hobbyist level now) which is obviously very customer service reliant. We pride ourselves on bringing a level of customer service that is rare in the automotive industry. We try to spend a lot of time talking with our customers explaining what is going on with their vehicle and what the repair involves. We strive to educate so people can feel good about making informed decisions about their vehicles!

Your work history includes positions in various automotive settings, from dealerships to school bus companies. Can you share a specific experience or project that you found challenging or rewarding, and how it impacted the trajectory of your career?

I’ve gained something from every shop I’ve worked at. Daimler taught me the most technical stuff. I did vehicle outfitting for a company in Portland where I learned a lot of fabrication and customization skills. My dealership and independent shop experiences showed me everything from how to be efficient to how to not treat customers! I have definitely brought a lot of what I learned NOT to do to the table as I hope to be a drop in the bucket of changing the automotive industry. We hope to help establish trust through communication and education. Your car means an awful lot to you and your family – it’s not just to get you from A to B. You rely on it almost everyday. It gets you to the doctor safely as well as helps forge great memories on vacations. Your vehicle and its care should mean a lot to you and we hope to be here to help with that.