Leo Cordova has loved cars since before he could drive. He has owned more cars than he can remember. From his first car, a yellow 1976 Toyota Corolla, to his collection of classic Volkswagens, his love for cars has never faded.
Cordova grew up in a large family with very little money. There were six boys. Their mom Tina stayed home to wrangle all the boys and their dad Manuel worked hard to support his family.
Manuel Cordova Sr. with his son’s Manuel Jr. and Rosalio (Leo) (Photo courtesy of Leo Cordova)
Manuel and Ernestina Cordova, Leo’s parents. Leo and its Brother Manuel’s mother passes away when he was 7. Ernestina raised them along with her four boys (Photo courtesy of Leo Cordova)
Leo Cordova and his brothers; Atrell, Rennell, Jorrell, Manuel Jr. and Leo Cordova, {missing Nick Felix} (Photo courtesy of Leo Cordova)
“When I was a kid Volkswagens were cheap. Cheap to fix, easy to learn. That’s why I drove them,” said Cordova.
His favorite car was a 1963 VW Crew Cab dubbed the Soda Crew. With its four doors, Safari windows and cherry red paint job, it was a thing of beauty. Prior to its life with Leo, it was an official Coca-Cola promotional car.
Cordova’s children Lauren and Andrew race to get to the 1963 Crew Cab circa 1994 (Photo/Antonia Rosas)
More than twenty years later, the Soda Crew is long gone and he has a new baby. A 1968 VW Squareback now holds a special place in his heart. It is similar one of the first VW’s he owned and even better, it is from his birth year. After almost two years of hard work, Cordova finished restoring his prized ’68 Squareback in May 2016.
Interior of the ’68 Squareback after being stopped for painting. (Photo Courtesy of Leo Cordova)
Cordova works not he engine bay of his ’68 Squareback. (Photo Courtesy of Leo Cordova)
Cordova’s ’68 Squareback after be replaced all of the damages body panels with clean ones. (Photo Courtesy of Leo Cordova)
Cordova’s ’68 Squareback being prepped for paint (Photo Courtesy of Leo Cordova)
The first round of paint on Cordova’s ’68 Squareback. The color id Dove Blue. While it is a Bug color, it works well on the Square. (Photo Courtesy of Leo Cordova)
Cordova’s collection of OEM and special order parts for his ’68 Squareback. He made sure to find as many original factory options as he could for this car. (Photo Courtesy of Leo Cordova)
Cordova’s ’68 Squareback, freshly painted, is home and ready to be finished. (Photo Courtesy of Leo Cordova)
Shaun Owens assists Cordova in putting in the roof liner. Cordova said that this was the most difficult part or the whole restoration. (Photo Courtesy of Leo Cordova)
Cordova and Owens instals the new rubber and window glass into the ’68 Squarebacl. (Photo Courtesy of Leo Cordova)
The ’68 Squareback’s back seat newly reupholstered by Cordova. (Photo Courtesy of Leo Cordova)
Ellen Cordova helps Leo work on the ’68 Squareback’s interior. (Photo Courtesy of Leo Cordova)
Cordova’s ’68 Squareback’s rebuilt engine. (Photo Courtesy of Leo Cordova)
Cordova’s finished ’68 Squareback. (Photo Courtesy of Leo Cordova)
After winning three First Place awards in his Type 3 class, another dream of his began taking form.
Leo Cordova poses for the camera showing off his first award at his 1968 Squareback’s first show. Cordova took first place in the VW type 3 category at VWs on the Green show on Sunday May 15, 2016 in Littleton, Colo. (Photo/Lauren Cordova)
Since he fell in love with cars, Cordova has dreamed of a place of his own to spread out and work on his cars. This dream was about to become a reality. With hard work and determination, Cordova and his wife Ellen decided to take the leap and go for it.
In early Fall 2016 Cordova broke ground on his new shop. This new 1,400 square foot building that will house his growing car collection and give him a sanctuary to work on his hobby.
Cordova and his friend Jerry Hampden work on leveling out the ground to prep for the cement. (Photo/Ellen Cordova)
The cement dries while Cordova is away visiting his daughter in Texas (Photo/Shaun Owens)
Leo Cordova and Shaun Owens put the roofing brackets using the skyjack at the sight of his new shop on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016 in Bailey, Colo. (Photo/Lauren Cordova)
Cordova’s shop sits waiting to be worked on in the early morning of Sunday, Nov. 6, 2016 in Bailey, Colo. (Photo/Lauren Cordova)
Cordova attempts to find a safe way to move the roof panels to the roof without damaging the building or hurting himself on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016 in Bailey, Colo. (Photo/Lauren Cordova)
Ellen Cordova guides Leo Cordova in the skyjack so that he can bolt the roof panels into place on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016 in Bailey, Colo. (Photo/Lauren Cordova)
Shaun Owens and Leo Cordova navigate the interior of the building on the skyjack attempting to fix the brackets of the back wall on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2016. (Photo/Lauren Cordova)
Cordova uses the skyjack to take down a brace at the peak of the new shop he is building in Bailey, Colo., on Friday, Nov. 18, 2016. (Photo/Lauren Cordova)
Cordova plans to build the entire building with the help of his friends. He is still in the process of putting the building together, but in time, his dream will become a reality.
Next he plans to restore his 1969 Notchback, followed by his son’s Squareback, his 1968 Bay Window Bus and his 1965 Split Window Bus.
Lauren Cordova Photography 