Adam Brown owns and operates one of the few remaining full-service gas stations in West Virginia. You might say motor oil runs in his veins.
It’s not surprising that Brown collects vintage cars and motorcycles at his business in Nicholas County. The surprise is in the types of things he's interested in.
“I’m up for anything that’s different, the things you don't see a lot of,” Brown said after taking a break from pumping gas and serving customers.
Brown's collection includes a fully-restored 1963 Chevrolet Impala SS, a beautiful 60s model Corvette and an always cool Volkswagen bus that his son now drives. These vehicles are certainly eye candy now, but they didn’t come to Brown in that condition.
“I like to get something that’s pretty rough," Brown explained. "Going out and finding it, retrieving it is a big part of it.”
When asked which car his favorite is, Brown has a special place in his heart for his Corvette.
“I’ve always been a Corvette guy," Brown admitted. "I got that one in 1980 and it was as rough as you could get."
He put the sweat equity in and now it’s completely restored and beautiful.
“I’ve had it looking like that since 1986," Brown said of the 'Vette. "I just never drive it, probably haven’t put 150 miles on it.”
Motorcycle collecting is a relatively new endeavor for Brown. He started collecting those in 2012.
“I rode dirt bikes all the time as a kid, but I never did ride street bikes much," Brown said. "I just got into the Bobber style where you take them apart and strip things off of them just to get a different look to them.”
"Different" would be an understatement. Brown’s collection is a hodgepodge of different frames, gas tanks, wheels, seats and of course, motors.
“I like the old British bikes, BSA, Triumphs, and Royal Enfields," Brown said.
Although Brown’s collection is impressive, it’s far from complete. He’s always got something in the works.
“Normally I’ve got more than one going at one time," Brown said of his projects. "Then someone says, 'Hey, such and such has this,' then I get pumped up and want to start that one and not finish the other one.”
You can see Adam’s collection if you catch him with some free time. He’s usually at the gas station and is glad to show you around. Calling ahead is highly recommended. Adam Brown can be reached at (304) 632-2117.