New owner taking the wheel at Jeeps R US

Larie Tales was supposed to retire when he moved to Laguna Beach 25 years ago.

Then he got sidetracked, by the Jeeps.

From fixing crumpled bumpers to building vehicles from scratch, Tales has created an eye-catching institution along Laguna Canyon Road dedicated to the Jeep in all its glory.

Now Tales, 72, is selling Jeeps R Us to 43-year-old Mike Cattan, a car enthusiast originally from Boston.

“Mike is the guy to take it to the next level,” Tales said in the office Monday. “He’s got the experience with the computer like I didn’t have to promote [the business] that way. He’s very personable.”

Cattan, who owns a moving and transportation company, has been fascinated with the automotive world since he was a boy and dreams of expanding Jeeps R Us into franchises.

The shop has shipped Jeeps to buyers in Holland and Japan, and Cattan wants to extend the brand nationally.

“We have a lot of interest in Utah, Florida and Massachusetts,” Cattan said. “Potentially, we’d like to get newer models: JKs, four doors. Obviously service and work ethic would stay the same.”

Tales employs five technicians who will stay on under Cattan’s ownership. Tales, who is originally from Toronto, said training to become a mechanic is more rigorous in Canada than in the U.S.

“After high school, students spend five years at a university to get an automotive repair license,” Tales said. “Until you get a license, you can’t do anything more than change oil or tires.”

Tales said he loves drag racing and his wife, Vicki, encouraged him to buy a Jeep when the two moved to Laguna. He did and he’s been working on them ever since.

“When I got here [in 1989], I worked by myself, then hired part-time employees,” Tales said. “I taught them what I know. If a wheel comes off, it has to be torqued back on.”

Jeeps R Us has been the subject of several automotive magazine articles and, Tales said, the envy of wealthy businessmen willing to drop a stack of $100 bills to purchase one of the custom-made models.

The only work not done on site is painting. Tales contracts with a paint shop in Santa Ana.

Cattan first saw Jeeps R Us in 2001 when he and his now-wife, Alexsandra, were visiting her family. The two had just been to West Coast Choppers custom motorcycle shop in Long Beach and got on the 73 Freeway, Cattan said, recalling the events that brought them to Laguna Beach.

“We ended up on Laguna Canyon Road, and as we drove through, I saw all the amazing Jeeps,” he said, referring to the recognizable row parked in front of the business.

They pulled into the lot and Cattan bought a 1988 Wrangler, with a flame painted on it.

Cattan kept in contact with Tales, and he and Alexsandra moved to Laguna Beach in 2011. Last year, Cattan asked Tales if he was planning to retire any time soon.

Tales said the time is right to sell. He wants to “slow down,” though he expects he’ll occasionally drop by the shop.

“The stars aligned,” Cattan said, smiling.

And the Jeeps will roll on.