A FAMILY ADVENTURE
The Aase brothers have had a tremendous influence on the air-cooled Porsche scene, thanks to their racing accomplishments and eclectic business ventures. These includes Aase Motors, a prominent company based in Fullerton, California founded by Randy Aase…
Not surprisingly, kids growing up in the United States have been interested in vehicles that helped shape the local car scene for decades, be it a Chevrolet Corvette or a Dodge pickup truck. Motorsports born in the USA such as drag racing and NASCAR competition have influenced American gearheads as well. But not all have a strong interest in V8s, ‘roundy round’ (oval track) competition, or straight-line quarter-mile action…
Take Randy, Dave and Dennis Aase for instance. As teenagers, the three Southern Californian brothers took a liking to Porsches and circuit racing, the latter being arguably more prevalent in Europe than the USA. Their interest led to heavy involvement in race cars and businesses, all revolving around the Porsche marque. One of their companies, Aase Motors founded by Randy, happens to be the topic of this article.
But before delving into the subject, we need to travel back to the mid-’70s, when it all began for the brothers. That’s when Dave and Dennis opened a renowned salvage yard solely devoted to Porsches – Aase Brothers. Located in car-centric Orange County, near Los Angeles, it helped a couple of generations of enthusiasts to maintain/restore their 911s, 356s, 914s etc. Dave and Dennis had it all, thanks to an extensive inventory largely sourced in Europe. Their endeavour involved Volkswagen Buses purchased in Germany, which they filled with Porsche parts, before loading them in containers with Long Beach, California as their final destination. The fun lasted until 2008, when Aase Brothers closed its doors.
By that time, Dennis had already left the salvage yard to start his own business nearby, with his brother Randy – Aasco Motorsports. Launched in 1995, it made a name for itself by manufacturing Us-made aluminium flywheels and driveline components, while also performing machine
“THE BROTHERS TOOK A LIKING TO PORSCHES…”
work and dyno sessions.
As a side note, we should mention that Dennis became heavily involved in the Porsche racing scene, specifically in the Can-am series with a 908, along with the IMSA series from the 1970s and’80s. He won various rounds with a GTU IMSA Porsche, before becoming immersed in the GT3 Cup series. After years on racetracks all over the USA, he finally elected to take a break from racing in 2019.
How about Dave? Well, after closing the Aase Brothers yard in ‘08, he moved to North Carolina to open a third company – Aase Sales. Not surprisingly considering his expertise, he chose to specialise in Porsche parts, with many he brought with him from California. Six years ago, Dave sadly passed; but Ron Thomas took over ownership of the respected firm. It remains a major player in the parts business. But it also houses a great car collection revolving around rare Porsches, with the odd 1947 VW Beetle thrown in for good measure.
Between Aase Brothers, Aasco Motorsports and Aase Sales, the three brothers have undeniably left their marks on the Porsche hobby. But wait, there is more… Years before he partnered with brother Dennis in Aasco Motorsports, Randy opened a fourth company in 1978 – Aase Motors! Classic Porsche made the trek to Orange County to visit the place, which specialises in air-cooled Porsches. Although its activity mostly encompasses conventional mechanical work, tuning and motorsport preparation have also contributed to the shop’s reputation within the Porsche circles. Randy even assembled a 917 motor for Otis Chandler years ago.
Being run by an efficient team certainly helped Randy, too, starting with Jeff Erickson who joined the firm in 1980. His involvement with motorsports began at age 17, while racing a 1967 912 with the Porsche Owners Club (POC). The Porsche factory based in Marina del Rey, California, hired him in 1974 to wrench on the Porschop’s race car, driven by Marc Rothman, Tom Marx and Michael Hammond. Jeff later went to work for Porschop.
“HE CHOSE TO SPECIALISE IN PORSCHE PARTS…”
His racing experience proved welcomed at Aase Motors, since the shop supported several teams involved in the GTO class, not forgetting the race cars from Randy’s brother, Dennis. So, when Randy decided to concentrate on the development of Aasco Motorsports in 1995, he knew precisely who to give the keys of the shop to. You guessed it: Jeff Erickson has been at the helm of Aase Motors since.
Though offering their service to all Porsche owners, the staff also helps and supports numerous successful racers, hence Aase stickers have been displayed on their cars’ body and windshields for over four decades. Several IMSA teams already entrusted Aase Motors in the 1980s, with the shop typically assembling/maintaining the engines for five or six of their Porsches; now the tradition continues with a bunch of POC cars raced all over the USA.
From humble beginnings in a small shop in 1978, the company quickly developed by taking over a few more units in the same business complex, until invading about 5000 square-feet. It all worked well until 2010, when the landlord complained about Aase Motors being ‘too noisy’ and asked Jeff to move out. He ultimately found a
“FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN A SMALL SHOP IN 1978…”
more accommodating building nearby in the city of Fullerton, in Orange County. With everything under one roof, it proves perfect thanks to an additional 1000 square-feet.
Jeff gets helps from Mike Roberts and Tim Towler, who handle the day-to-day projects: repairs, tune-ups, engine/gearbox installations, along with the occasional race car preparations. They basically do it all, save for upholstery, metalwork and paint. A separate room welcomes Allan Faragallah, a highly reputable engine builder specializing in air-cooled powerplants, from humble 356s to more modern 911s – he also builds/rebuilds Aase Motors’ transmissions. Some of these units are sold in the USA to retail customers and other shops (such as Honest Engines), though quite a few end up being shipped as far away as Sweden.
Multiple lifts, a wide selection of tools: the team has it all. Yet, Aase Motors typically outsources machine and head work to Aasco, located nearby. ‘Aasco has a line-bore machine and a ton of Porsche specialty tools’, ponders Jeff. He and his staff have also access to plenty of old parts gathered on a mezzanine, just above the engine room – they were often salvaged from vehicles that came in for work. New components are regularly purchased from several aftermarket companies, who supply everything from fuel injection doodads to wiring harnesses.
Air-cooled 911s represent about 90 per cent of the business, with the last 10 per cent being shared between 914s, 912s, 356s and the occasional water-cooled 911. Not all are stock, as Jeff and his crew often wrench on ‘outlaws’ as well. And race cars of course… About six to eight come in for some sort of work every month, including service and safety checks. Jeff gets involved with them at races, too, as he explains: ‘I arrive loaded with a variety of parts and tools, to make sure no one has issues.’ Jeff is much more than a savvy businessman – he is a true, knowledgeable Porsche enthusiast.