Kim and Bob Carew own Coastal Motors, a new auto repair shop in North Newcastle. The garage opened early this year. (Alexander Violo photo)
A new full-service auto repair shop, Coastal Motors, is open for business in North Newcastle.
Bob and Kim Carew opened the shop at 67 Hassan Ave., off Route 215, shortly after the new year. The couple relocated to Newcastle from Cape Cod in 2012, after buying property on Hassan Avenue several years earlier.
Bob Carew spent the last 18 months building the office and workspace. The Carews were excited to open the doors to the public earlier this year and are enjoying running the business.
Bob Carew said he has worked on cars for 40 years at dealerships and other businesses and is excited to have a place of his own.
“It’s kind of a chance to do things for myself finally,” he said.
The business is on the same property as the Carew home, offering them a short commute to work.
Bob Carew said the shop offers repairs, service, and welding on vehicles 1 ton or less. Kim Carew said the business also does state inspections. They plan to sell cars in the future.
The shop’s garage has a 12,000-pound lift and a 7,000-pound scissor lift, according to Bob Carew.
The entrance to Coastal Motors, a full-service auto repair shop at 67 Hassan Ave., off Route 215 in North Newcastle. (Alexander Violo photo)
Bob Carew said he has been interested in cars since he was a young kid growing up on Cape Cod. He joined an auto club and worked on cars when he was 14 years old, taking a particular interest in hot rods.
A few years later, he went to Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, a vocational school in Harwich, Mass.
“I always loved working on cars. Since before I was 20, I knew it was what I wanted to do,” he said.
Business at Coastal Motors has been good since the shop opened, according to Kim Carew.
“It’s been a lot of word-of-mouth,” she said.
Kim Carew is particularly proud of the shop’s cleanliness. Some auto repair shops can be dirty and cluttered, she said, and she wanted theirs to be different.
Coastal Motors offers a comfortable and warm place for people to wait while their vehicle is serviced, in addition to a clean workshop area.
“I wanted the waiting room to be nice, clean, and homey,” Kim Carew said.
Bob Carew said he plans to build a customer bathroom in the basement across from the repair shop soon.
The business is usually open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but will adjust to customers when necessary.
“If something needs to be done on Sunday, I can do it if the parts are available. I’m very flexible with my hours and am willing to work around people and their schedules,” Bob Carew said.
To contact the owners or schedule an appointment, call 586-0022 or email coastalmotorsme@gmail.com.
