Don't judge a book by its cover

[theking]

She rebuilt a classic Chevy after the L.A. fires — but still gets asked if it's her dad's work
Carmen Vera is in the business of buying and restoring classic cars. She stands out when she brings her fresh build-outs to places like Pomona Swap Meet, where gearheads, lowriders and hot-rodders have met to show off their cars since the 1970s.

"This arrogant man came up to me with a cigar and said, 'Let me guess, this is your old man’s car,'" said Vera. "It blew his mind when I told him it was mine."

Vera, who was born and raised in northeast Los Angeles, grew up watching her dad and cousins fixing up their cars in the lowrider scene of 1990s Los Angeles. "Whatever I know, I’ve learned from my dad or playing with my own cars," said Vera. "And as a single mom, I needed to learn how to rotate a tire or do an oil change on my own."

In the past seven years, Vera built her own restoration company while working full-time, one of four businesses she owns, and later became a partner with Sal Rivas at Pasadena Classic Car. Her customer base now stretches from Los Angeles to Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii and Texas. Her young daughter loves being in the shop too, watching her mom transform cars from junk into treasure.