Eric Essen

Vehicle and Tool Junkie.

Oh, and I work at iFixit as Chief Tool Officer too.

Dump Truck, bought and fixed at 18

Business card at 17

I am an autodidact. I did not attend school growing up. My family provided me with an excellent education at home, leaving most of my days free to tinker as a child. Broken or not, I took apart anything I could get my hands on. Most got put back together, and most of those worked. I learned that with the right tools and information, I could fix anything. Even without the tools or manuals, with some care, I was usually successful. I search craigslist for words like “needs”, “broken”, and “mechanic”.

I love vehicles of all sorts, especially vintage, exotic, and grey market ones.

Smart Roadster snuck in from Germany.

I want to drive them all, and have driven most. When I couldn't buy it for a bargain and fix it for myself, I borrowed it, providing vehicle services for collectors - Repairs, brokering, detailing, showing, or towing.

Tuning up Pat Boone's Suzuki GT

Yes, there are people don't have time for their own toys, and will pay people to play with them for them!

Paid to cruise Hollywood in a West Coast Customs Grand National.

No I can't land it. Can't even really fly it, but what a rush trying!

Mostly Vespa Scooters, especially unrestored original examples. I've owned pretty much every model built from 1952-1981, most of them several times, along with other random vintage scooters and mopeds.

The first engine I ever rebuilt was in a Vespa. When it roared... well putt-putt-putted to life, I was Dr. Frankenstein! Repair is my muse. There is nothing like pulling a long forgotten bike out of a shed, and bringing it back to life.

I'm not just a Vespa freak, I like all types of vintage bikes, especially European 2-strokes. I've owned my fair share of bigger bikes too, but there is something about pushing a 125cc bike to its limits that is difficult to duplicate on a bike with 10x the displacement.

Vespa "Faro Basso" only sold in Italy. Most likely brought back by returning GI.

All original paint 1964 Vespa, full nut & bolt "Teardown", detailed, and mechanically rebuilt.

Short lived chopper phase

They say I’m Bike-Curious. I love them all.

I love the rare and unusual bikes. Bikes brought back by GI's from overseas years ago or imported by a collector, torn apart and never put back together? I'm there to pick up the pieces and breath life back into it.

Mobylette Grand Touring imported from Netherlands

1967 Puch All original

1996 JDM Yamaha YB1 imported from Japan.

PAV40 Scooter Trailer imported from Czechoslovakia

I said I was a Vespa freak, I even play one on television.

Pool at Hearst Castle

View from secret swimming hole atop waterfall

I love the Central Coast, I grew up here playing outdoors, and make the most of the sunshine and amazing resources around us every chance I get. Swimming holes (and the occasional nice pool) are my favorite getaways.

To sum it up, work or play, I’m almost always surrounded with tools, At iFixit, tools are my domain: http://www.ifixit.com/Tools . I source, test, and photograph tools all day.