Bob’s Auto Repair, located just north of Lawrenceville’s Main Street district, combines the personalized service associated with past with the modern-day diagnostics of the present and future.
In 1963, at the age of 21, Bob Hullfish, a lifelong Lawrence resident, purchased the building located on 15 Cold Soil Road in Lawrence.
His son, Wayne, explained “he always was interested in cars. Race cars, field cars, he was interested in it in high school.” Bob’s brother became a college professor, and his sister a teacher, but “he wanted to be a mechanic.”
Bob borrowed money from family to turn his dream of owning an auto repair shop into a reality. The family, in turn, kept a close eye on him and their investment. Now 75, Bob and Wayne, 53, continue to run the shop.
“Personalized service,” succinctly explained Wayne when asked what sets them apart from the competition. Bob and Wayne are the only people who work with customers and their cars at Bob’s Auto Repair.
Wayne continues to go for additional training four to five times a year at night. “I try to keep up with it.”
Bob and Wayne work on just about every type of car. “We have all of the electronics stuff for diagnostics,” Wayne said.
His father has told him “as long as I’m willing to operate the equipment, he is willing to buy it.” As a result, they can fix almost everything on American and Asian cars except transmissions.
They also do not do more than basic repairs on European cars because they don’t have the computer diagnostics for that. “We work on a wide array of cars.” They recently restored a 1954 pick-up truck and are now working on a 1953 Ford pick-up truck.
“My dad grew up on Van Kirk Road,” near Lawrenceville Main Street. “The year I was born,” Wayne said, “my parents bought this place. I was raised here. From the time I was a toddler, I’ve been here. I grew up next door [to the auto repair shop]. I could see my dad at work. He has a great work ethic. I’m very proud of him. He is probably the fairest person I know.”
Wayne, too, has lived his entire life in Lawrenceville and went through the Lawrence school system.
In the early days, Bob worked 10 to 12 hours a day five days a week. They lived in the house by the shop.
“Mom could make dinner and shout out the window. She always took care of us with a hot dinner,” Wayne said.
In the early days, their location also had a gas station, with Wayne pumping gas to earn some extra money in his youth.
“It was my main source of income from 12 years on,” he said.
Wayne has a sister and two sons, none of whom work in the family business. “I told both of my sons if they were interested, they had to go to school for it” because it is too complicated to teach them and work on cars at the same time.
Wayne said he is very proud of his sons. One is a police officer in Ewing, and the other is a plant operator. “They can get benefits,” which can be expensive as a small business owner.
Bob continues to come into the shop most days. “He refuses to retire. It is great he can get here every day,” said Wayne.
He added that most of their customers come from within a two-mile radius of the shop based on word of mouth. “I will keep doing this as long as I can. Our customers are great people. Most end up shooting the breeze. My dad’s friends come in. We have long-term customers. We have a small town feel.”
Bob’s Auto Repair, 15 Cold Soil Road, Lawrence Township. Phone: (609) 896-0146. Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is a dropbox for keys. No weekend hours.
