5 Minutes with Bob and Linda Galbraith of New Port Engineering
If you’ve been to any national-level street rod event over the past 55 years, chances are you’ve crossed paths with Bob and Linda Galbraith from New Port Engineering. Bob attended his first Street Rod Nationals in 1970 and has not missed one since. Linda has been right by his side since 1975, and both have been fixtures at the Goodguys Summit Racing Nationals in Columbus since the beginning.
Bob started New Port Engineering in 1987 and began retailing a range of street rod parts. Within a few years, he recognized the need for an electric drive motor to replace the vacuum units used to drive windshield wipers on vehicles from the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. That Clean Wipe Wiper Drive led to an entirely new business direction and a bolt-in electric wiper product line that now covers more than 180 vintage car and truck applications.
We recently caught up with Bob and Linda to discuss the evolution of hot rodding, good music, and the balance of hobby and business.
GG: When you sold your first wiper motor in 1989, did you think you’d be at it 35 years later?
Bob Galbraith: No! We didn’t even consider the size of the potential marketplace; we were just trying to get our feet wet. When we took the Clean Wipe Wiper Drive to the first show we had three vehicle applications. We were still selling chassis parts and building customer cars. Eventually we gave up the car building and focused on wiper motors. The design criteria then and today are to build a high-quality product that bolts in to OEM brackets and connects to OEM hardware. Looking down the road 35 years seemed like a lifetime but looking back those years have passed in the blink of an eye. We are very blessed. The cars have been great, but they are second to the wonderful people and friendships we’ve made over the years.
GG: Linda, were you into hot rods before meeting Bob?
Linda Galbraith: No, unless a ‘72 Pinto with a four speed counts. I met Bob in the spring of 1975 at MIZZOU. We dated that summer and in August, he asked me to ride down south to a big car show. He was so excited and focused I didn’t think we were ever going to stop for lunch. Bob always says if I had any sense I would have turned around and run the other way.
GG: Are your kids taking a larger role in the company these days?
Linda: Katie has worked on and off but has since moved on. Gavin plays a large role in manufacturing and general operations. Gavin’s wife Alejandra has contributed her organizational skills in streamlining warehouse and shipping operations. Daryl, another longtime employee, plays a large role in company operations.
GG: You have been to every Goodguys Columbus event. What are the biggest changes you’ve seen?
Bob: I see a new generation of participants driving ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s cars. Hot rodders are moving in two directions, the late-model drivers or the pro-built cars. There are many new shops, with some incredibly talented young fabricators, and they turn out some fantastic builds. Sadly, some of our original iconic builders have retired or passed away. The home builders usually drove their cars to the event, but today many cars are trailered.
GG: Bob, you’ve been involved in hot rods your entire life. How does the hobby today compare with the ’70s?
Bob: I purchased my first car magazine when I was about 10 years old. The local drug store also gave me the return copies with the top half of the cover torn off. At first, I was into Tri-Five Chevys and Gassers until I started reading Rod & Custom. Then my focus changed to early Fords, Model As, Halibrand quick-change rearends, dropped axles, Kelsey wires, early Ford steelies, ’50 Mercury wheels and caps, magnesium Americans, dirt track tires, Flatheads, vintage bangers, Bell-style steering wheels, and Stewart Warner gauges. These became the blueprint for my personal builds.
Thankfully these types of cars remain today – hot rods screwed together with old Ford parts. The ’70s saw the beginning of high-quality chassis parts allowing the home builder to construct a quality hot rod. Today our industry covers every aspect of hot rod builds, coupled with many pro-built cars with massive amounts of fabrication representing a new era of hot rodding. Thankfully, we all survived the billet, pastel paint/dry-brush graphics, pro street era.
GG: We see guitar cases in the booth on occasion. What do you play?
Bob: Primarily acoustic instruments. Linda plays guitar and mandolin. Bob plays lap slide, square-neck resonator guitars, both metal and wood body. Our music is primarily bluegrass, folk, blues, and gospel. These days we are church musicians. We bring instruments in case we find people to jam with after hours.
GG: So, music is your second passion. Any recommendations?
Bob: There are so many good videos on YouTube, you can pick what appeals to you. We tend toward the modern era of bluegrass, the old-time acoustic blues artists, modern rockin’ blues, the entire span of folk music. For Gospel music, we lean toward traditional hymns and contemporary worship music.
GG: How do you balance hot rod work and hot rod business?
Bob: Business was the primary focus for many years. We were building a brand, and that left little time for personal projects. Fortunately, we finished a couple hot rods before concentrating on the business full time. The early years found us driving our Model A pickup to major events, following the truck and display trailer. As we grew, the shows became so involved we left the pickup at home. A few years ago, I mostly retired and started to focus on some dormant projects.
GG: You’ve been working on a Model A panel truck. Can we expect to see it on the road soon?
Bob: I think this will finally be the year. It’s a very involved project with many fabricated one-off parts. The project was completed in our home shop, with just a handful of parts built by outside fabricators. We hope to bring it to some shows this summer.
