Counterman’s “Guess the Car” contest challenges our readers to solve an automotive riddle, for a chance to win $100. And each month, we receive hundreds of responses from aftermarket professionals trying to guess the model of the vehicle depicted.
The correct answer for the April/May contest is the Chevrolet Colorado. The winner is Jason Legatos, store manager at Fisher Auto Parts in Peabody, Massachusetts.
Now, let’s get to know the “Guess the Car” champion.
CM: How long have you been working in the auto parts business?
JL: Thirty years.
CM: What do you like most about your job?
JL: Solving problems. Any shop in town can send out pads and rotors for a Camry. But do you have that wealth of connections to track down the part that nobody can find? Do you have a vendor that has that hard-to-find part? That’s the stuff I like.
CM: What’s the strangest question a customer has asked you?
JL: I actually got asked to a wedding once. It’s kind of a sad but funny story. This woman, her car was giving her trouble, and she had a fight with her boyfriend, and she basically just melted down in the store. And she went on about personal things, and I was thinking in my head, “Well there’s nothing in the manual on how to deal with this.”
Eventually she asked, “Would you want to go to Cape Cod for a wedding with me?” [I said], “I have to work, but thank you though.” People were looking at me like, “Did that really just happen?”
CM: What’s the coolest car you’ve ever owned or worked on?
JL: A ‘68 Camaro. When my dad passed away, it was his car. And I was too young to drive, so it sat in the driveway for a few years. And that’s how I ended up getting into this business. Here was this beautiful car, I was nearing 16, so let’s break out the dirty Chilton [manual] in the trunk and try to figure out how to get this thing running again. And that’s what got me in the industry. Not a bad first car.
CM: Do you have any interesting hobbies? What do you do for fun?
JL: I collect a lot of sports cards and memorabilia, mostly baseball and football. Not as a business, but more like a long-term investment. Just something completely non-car-related to kind of get away from the day.
CM: Anything noteworthy in your collection?
JL: I have a pretty extensive collection of Tom Brady rookie cards that are probably going to pay for my daughter’s wedding someday.
CM: What’s your dream car?
JL: I’d like to get another classic car. I had a ’71 Mach 1 [Mustang] that I bought from somebody, and before it was even home, there was an electrical fire in the entire harness. I’d like to take another stab at a ’71 Mach 1.
