Don Lepsch - 1973 Dodge van

Mechanics of Charlottesville, beware. Don Lepsch, owner of a 1973 Dodge van, is the second "My Rider" who's performed major repairs on his own vehicle.

"I replaced the engine in this vehicle once, and the transmission twice," says Lepsch, a Charlottesville resident and retired electrical engineer. "If you just read up on it, car maintenance is easy."

Not to mention cost-effective.

"All together, I've paid under $2000 on this vehicle," says Lepsch. "And now it has about 300,000 miles on it, and it's very reliable."

Well, except for that time the emergency brake broke, and Lepsch's neighbor had to chase the bright blue van down a hill.

Despite the mishap and the occasional complaints about the van's appearance, Lepsch says the vehicle's practicality outweighs the other factors.

"Some people complain about the exterior from time to time but," he laughs, "no one complains when they borrow it for hauling."
